stress-free Archives - Getting it Together

How To Organize A Ski Bag

How many of you love to ski?

It’s a great sport since you can do it well into your 80’s. Yes, I’ve met many a super seniors out on the slopes. So inspiring that’s for sure.

I like to have my bag ready to go at all times.

Check out this short video on How To Organize A Ski Bag. Then read on for more Getting It Together tips.

One thing I didn’t mention in the video was snacks.

I always have a protein bar in my pocket. This is important in the event you run into trouble and need a little energy boost.

I also keep a tea bag in my pocket. That way, I can stop and get hot water for free. Not only are you getting organized but I am helping you save money.

What could be better?

My ski pass is always in my ski jacket pocket. You’d hate to stand in line only to find out your pass is in your wallet or different jacket.

Hope to see you out on the slopes.

PS: No matter what time of the season, be sure to wear sunscreen. Your face will love you for it.

PPS: It has been a long time since we talked or saw each other. Please set up a FREE discovery session to help you get your New Year on track.

Happy, safe, healthy 2022!
www.gettingittogether.ca

By organize|2021-12-14T23:15:06+00:00December 14th, 2021|Travel Organization|0 Comments

A Covid-19 Christmas – How Will You Make This Holiday Season Special?

Wouldn’t we all love it if we could have a “normal” Christmas?

Do you dream of having your family around you?

Do you dream of your traditions?

I do and I’m sure you do as well. Unfortunately this year 2020 will look different for all of us.

Check out this short video on “A Covid-19 Christmas” then read on for some fun ideas.

Rather than dwelling on all the things we can’t have or do, let’s take a look at some creative new ideas and traditions. This could be the perfect year to create a calm Christmas/Holiday Season. A stress-free Christmas. A debt free Christmas. This could be the perfect year to make colossal changes and step out of the box.

What could be some of these new traditions?

Sponsoring a family. We will all be spending a lot less on entertainment and gifts so possibly we could sponsor two or three families this year.

Could this be the year to focus on handmade gifts? To get creative and crafty.
Could this be the year to give the gift of time. This is the most precious gift that you can give people.

Could this be the season to get organized and set up lasting systems that work for you and the whole family?

What about doing zoom cook offs amongst family members. Who makes the best stuffing for an example or the best pies? It would all be in good fun.

This could be the season to get active. Instead of sitting around all day with your family, like the past, you could get active within your bubble. That might be snowshoeing, a walk around the seawall, hike, or shoveling snow for your neighbours.

Maybe Christmas this year could be spent away in a cabin with a good book and a cozy fire.

After all, this is the year of the big pause.

However you plan on spending your Holiday Season, I wish you and your family all the best of health and happiness.

PS: Needing help planning for your Holiday Season? Check out www.gettingittogether.ca and get your free over the phone session.

By organize|2020-11-24T17:22:05+00:00November 24th, 2020|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

How To Conquer Procrastination Once And For All – Part II by Rowena List of Getting It Together

Procrastination is the intentional and continual postponement of a task that should be done now. Chronic procrastinators can have a negative impact on productivity not only their own but within a corporation.

Do you put off important tasks?

Is the stress of procrastinating getting to you?

Check out this short video and then read on for Getting It Togethers’ Top 5 Tips on How To Conquer Procrastination Once And For All – Part II.

Tip 1: Make a list of all the things you have been procrastinating about. Beside each item estimate how long each task will take. Break the tasks into bite-size pieces and then schedule time in your calendar to work on these tasks. The way to work around procrastination is if you treat these task as though they are equally as important as seeing your dentist or medical specialist.

Tip 2: Get help. You don’t have to do everything yourself. What tasks can you delegate? For example, doing your taxes.

Tip 3: Eliminate perfectionism. Recognize that good is good enough and that it’s better to get it done then to delay until it can be perfect. Let’s face it, nothing is perfect, no one is perfect and life certainly is not perfect. Don’t put yourself on a guilt trip if you do procrastinate once in a while. After all, you’re not perfect.

Tip 4: List the advantages of doing the task and compare them with the consequences of not doing it. This should help light a fire under you to stop procrastinating once and for all.

Tip 5: Don’t wait until you have more time; you will probably have no more time in the future than you have right now. Have you ever talked to someone who has retired? They always wonder how they ever had time to work. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, it’s how we spend them that counts. Procrastination is the thief of time. Don’t let it rob you of your precious moments.

PS: If you didn’t get a chance to read part 1, grab a coffee and read it here

By organize|2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00August 14th, 2019|Estate Planning, Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing Finances, Time Management|0 Comments

Downsizing Made Simple by: Rowena List of Getting It Together

Are you; or someone you know getting ready to downsize?

Has the house been a museum for 30, 40, 50 years?

Are you wondering where to start?

Start by having these items on hand:

Boxes
Packing tape
Black marker
Labels
Industrial strength garbage bags
Scissors
Gloves (for cleaning and for areas such as the garage and crawl space)
Cleaning supplies

Check out this short video and then read on for Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips to Downsizing Made Simple:

Tip 1: Have an action plan. If you’re a homeowner, first select the date you want to list your home. These tips work well even if you’re not selling but want to downsize the number of items you have in your current space.

The key part to this action plan is a master to do list. What services might you need to hire out? Will you need professional movers, packers, cleaners and of course the most important person…. your professional organizer?

Tip 2: Check the layout of your new place if at all possible. Knowing this information is extremely helpful when it comes time to dealing with furniture that may or may not fit into your new place. It’s also helpful to know the size of your new kitchen, bathroom and your closet space so you only take items that you will use, items that you love and, of course, the items that you really need.

Find out if getting closet/cupboard organizers installed before you move into your new place will help to maximize your storage space, e.g. Pull-outs in the kitchen cupboards and/or built in closet organizers.

Tip 3: Take it slow. You may be moving from your family home which you have lived in for decades. There’re a lot of memories in your home and downsizing may bring up some emotions.

I highly recommend the “15 minute- to- freedom” downsizing method. It means setting your timer for 15 minutes and going through one drawer at a time or one cupboard at a time. Take another 15 minutes and look at downsizing your purses or shoes. This method can be used throughout the entire house as long as you’re not on a tight timeline.

Tip 4: Make a list of items that need to be sold and a list of the items that will be given to family members and which ones will be donated. I suggest using bright coloured labels. Use bright green for all the items that are going to be sold. Simply stick the label onto those items and label them as “Sell”

Use bright yellow labels for the ones that will be donated and red ones for the ones that are going to family members. Do you have family heirlooms? If so, leave any special instructions with them. One of my clients had shelves of binders full of their family history. When downsizing they requested, I take the binders to the local Genealogy Society.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the volume of stuff? This is where Rowena can really come in handy as she knows all the resources and best places for your previously loved items to go.

Tip 5: Visualize what you will be doing in your new space. Will you still host the monthly bridge club, have small dinner parties, or would you rather be going to other people’s places for such things? Knowing this information will help you determine what items are necessary for you to bring to your new space.

Eliminate the three deadly words “just in case”. Downsizing requires ruthlessness. If you’re feeling stuck with a particular item simply ask yourself “would I replace this if it were lost in a flood or fire?”

www.gettingittogether.ca

By organize|2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00May 21st, 2019|Estate Planning, Home Organization, Organizing to Move|0 Comments

How To Have A Balanced Life Once and For All

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a balanced life all the time?

As you strive for that balanced life and ultimately get it, there may be times when things are a little out of whack or not balanced at all. How do you cope in those times?

Know that your unbalanced life can be temporary if you check out this short video on “How To Have A Balanced Life Once and For All” then read on for Getting It Togethers’ Top 4 Tips

Tip 1. Get More Organized Personally

Is that easier said than done? What about streamlining your home and getting it more organized? It takes 40% less time to clean an organized home. How would you spend that extra time? Look for ways to simplify. For example, making a big pot of stew at the beginning of the week or keeping meals easy and simple. Also, setting a weekly meal plan and doing one big grocery shop a week can be a big timesaver. Do your shopping when the grocery store isn’t busy like before 10:00am in the morning or after 7:00pm at night. Better yet, shop online and have it delivered.

Tip 2. You Don’t Have To Do It All Yourself

Resist the urge to do it all yourself. Delegate some tasks or temporarily giving up some activities that aren’t serving you at this time. For example, volunteer activities might have to be put on hold. You can always go back to these events once your temporarily unbalanced lifestyle is back on track. Be sure to give people plenty of notice so they can fill your position.

If you really want some extra time and relief why not hire a housekeeper. Just think of all the things you could be doing while your home is being cleaned.

Tip 3. Down Time Is Key

Everyone needs down time and relaxation time. Down time means sitting and reading a book, going for a massage, having a bubble bath or getting a manicure.

TV is one of the biggest time busters. Even with PVR. Did you know that a half hour show is really only fifteen minutes; the rest is commercials! How much are you watching? The average person is watching between 2-4 hours a day! Keep track in a week; you might be surprised. While you’re at it, keep track of how much time is spent on Social Media. This is another big-time buster and for what?

Tip 4. Remember Your Life Goals

Whether your life is balanced or unbalanced at this time, here is a great question to ask yourself when doing any task: “Is this contributing to my life goals?” If the answer is “yes”, then keep on doing it. If the answer is “no”, then delegate it, dump it or deal with it. Keep in mind to always be fair, firm and friendly, especially when delegating.

PS: Using a weekly plan sheet which is colour coded will give you more balance. Have you got yours? If not, Contact me at www.gettingittogether.ca or contact me directly at rowena@gettingittogether.ca I will get back to you.

You can even have a lesson on how to use it by booking a FREE over the phone discovery call.

A balanced, organized life is a happy life. Give yourself that gift.

By organize|2020-06-07T20:52:32+00:00December 17th, 2018|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

How to Have a Stress Free Vacation – Part 1

How many of you dream of a nice hot sunny vacation?

Do you think “I have too much work to go away?”

Or “I don’t have the time”

We all know it is extremely important to have breaks. Whether they are short breaks throughout the day or a day off once a week or a much needed vacation. A British survey found that 40% of workers return to work feeling more stressed than before they left on vacation.

Yikes! Why is that?

Check out this short video on how to have a stress free vacation to find out

Tip #1: Disconnect. We all need a break from our electronic devises at some time or another. I know most of you are saying “ya but then I return to 100”s of emails, I would rather deal with them while on vacation”

The challenge with this is that it does not give your brain a chance to fully turn off and get into vacation mode. You could end up reading a work related email that requires your attention. Then what? Interruptions to your family time, your relaxation time and fun time. What did we all do before we were so “addicted” or connected to our technology?

If you feel you simply cannot go without checking work emails then have a strict schedule. Say 15-30 minutes first thing in the morning and that is it.

Tip # 2: Plan in advance by letting your major clients knows that you will be away. Have an out of office reply on your email, and voice message.

Tip #3: Save the day before you go away to tidy up all the loose ends. Have you ever found how highly productive you become those few days before going on vacation? You work with a sense of urgency like never before.

Tip #4: Budget ahead of time. The best vacations are the ones that are paid for before you even leave. Then your only expenses are food and entertainment. Check online for FREE activities. Most places have several to pick from.

Tip #5: Be pet smart. Make arrangements in advance for Fido. Are you going to be travelling with your pets or will you be leaving them at home? This is one task that can be taken care of long in advance so it is not being left to the last moment.

See you under a sun umbrella or the ski slopes. What type of vacation do your prefer? Leave your comments in the box below.

PS: Do you need a system for your travel items? Call today for the latest organizing tips.

www.gettingittogether.ca

And if you love this video and tips please share the love by sharing the link. Thank you.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00March 2nd, 2015|Organizer, Travel Organization|0 Comments

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

R applying Makeup-5 Most 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 Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 26th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How to attend a charity event in style

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Do you find yourself in the position of attending formal events?

Is it once in a lifetime? Or is it part of your norm?

If you do not attend charity events very often it can be a challenge as to how to act, what to wear, etc.

These tips could work for attending a charity event, a fancy dinner party, or work related event.

Here are my Top 5 tips on How to attend a charity event in style.

Tip#1: Know the exact time and location of the event.

Since I was a guest to this event I did not see the tickets in advanced. I relied totally on my girlfriend. I was her “date”. I picked her up and followed her instructions of going to the Bayshore Hotel in downtown Vancouver. Once we arrived I gave the valet the valet ticket. After some time he came back to us and asked if we were at the right hotel. I thought we were because of my friends instructions. To make sure, I checked the tickets. This is what any organized person would do. Ah, we were not at the right hotel. Good thing the hotel we needed was right around the corner. With a good laugh we headed off to the correct hotel. (My friend mentioned that this mix-up would make a good story one day.)

Tip#2: Arrive early, stay late.

The thing about attending a charity event is that there is usually so much going on. By the time we arrived we did not have much time to scan the silent auction items. Some of the silent auction areas had already been closed. This was fine for us however, if you want to bid on certain items it is best to get there early. Staying right to the end is the polite thing to do. Hundreds of man-hours, effort and organizing went into planning the event. It is a nice gesture to stay to the end. Plus, it makes for great people watching.

Tip#3: What to wear.

At an event of this magnitude it is always better to be overdressed. Not to worry if you do not have such an outfit in your wardrobe. Here are some fun ways to get “the look”. Anything sparkly will do. If you have a long dress this is the time to wear it. Jazz up a basic black dress with fun jewelry. If you do not have these items can you borrow from a friend or see what your local consignment store has to offer. What about hair and make-up? This is the time when you can really go all out. What fun to have an up-do or false eyelashes, etc?

See if you can score a deal with your hairdresser to not charge you for doing your hair that day. Take the money you would have paid her and donate it to the fundraiser. Same goes with getting your make-up done. I’ll bet these people would gladly go for it. ASK. They may even give you a little extra cash to toss in to the donate pot. The thing is you might want to go and buy a whole new outfit. Would you wear it again? If not, then that means you are bringing more items into your home. Plus, the money you would spend on a whole new outfit could be money you could donate to the charity event you are attending.

Tip#4: No mobile devices.

Most of the people attending a charity event are very serious about the cause. There are speakers, live actions and loads of activity going on. Not to mention the fun band. The last thing anyone wants is to hear a mobile device going off. That also includes texting. Ya, I know we live in a world of instant communication but this is not the time or place for it. I’m an old fashion kind of gal when it comes to this. I left my phone in the car.

Tip#5: Know your limit.

When attending an event like this it is always good to go with a goal in mind. How much money would you like to donate to this cause? It is so easy to get caught up in all of the excitement. You might end up with items you never intended to get. So, be very clear as to how much you would like to spend and what you would like to spend it on. The best items are the consumable ones. That way you are not bringing more stuff in to your home. The hotel packages, food baskets and spa treatments are some of my all time favorites. These also make great gifts for family and friends. Consumable gifts are the best!!

The event I attended was so glamorous. It was a fun night. The dinner was yummy and the dessert was divine. With a Paris theme you can only imagine. I was thrilled to be there and very grateful. Watching the live action was amazing. The room was filled with excitement. Hearing the heartfelt presentations was warming. I know it was a huge success for all of those who participated.

Need help with knowing what to wear, what fork is the right one to use, or which glass is yours? Please contact me for a FREE 30 minute coaching call on how to get the most form the charity event you are attending.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 12th, 2015|Uncategorized|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 Rowena List|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 artwork Do 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 Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 15th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

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A balanced, organized life is a happy life. Give yourself that gift.

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