Top Eight Ways To Declutter

Nothing takes on value unless it’s being used.

How many items do you have in your house that are not being used?

Are you saving them ” just in case?”

Those are the three deadliest words when it comes to decluttering. Just in Case

Check out this short video and then read on for Getting It Togethers Top Eight Ways To Declutter and see how much lighter you feel.

1) Everything you own needs to have purpose and value because it’s functional, it’s used or its loved. A beautiful heirloom from your grandmother might be of beauty because you have it displayed in a place of honour. If it’s in a box in the garage then it needs to go. Take a picture of it first if you must. Think about if you had a flood. Would you replace old broken items that you never use? No, of course not. So, pass them on now so that burden isn’t left to a family member.

2) A place for everything and everything in its place. The kitchen counter is not a catch all. Have a place for your keys, phone, kid’s homework etc.

3) Stay focused on one task at a time. Multitasking is a myth.

4) Have zones. Keep all plastic containers in one area so as to make food clean up easy. And don’t keep any bottoms without a lid or any lids without a bottom. It’s like odd socks. It happens in every household. It’s one of life’s mysteries. Toss out all the odd socks or start a trend by wearing mismatched socks. I see many kids are doing that these days. Have a zone for all appliances you use and that are in working order. Did you have ambitions of baking your own bread only to find out you haven’t used the bread maker in years? Time to pass it on.

5) Deal with things when you make the time for them. Note that I didn’t say when you have the time because we all have time for the things that are important to us. So set aside time to deal with your mail but don’t wait until the electricity company has switched off your hydro. Set aside time to Spring clean your home or set aside time to donate all the books you’ve already read. Make time to clear out the clutter from your closet. It’s very disempowering to open a closet and see a bunch of old outdated clothes or clothes that don’t fit. If you wouldn’t replace it if it was lost in a flood then it’s time for it to be donated. Get real! Get ruthless. Save photos till the last. It’s a big job. One that will take time. Set a timer and quickly sort photos into subject matter. Weddings, Christmas, kids, vacations etc. Once in piles, quickly toss all the photos that are no longer serving you. The blurry ones, red eyed ones etc. And keep only the photos that you would be sad if they went up in flames. Store photos in clear photo boxes and label. Keep in mind that nobody wants your photos. They are your memories.

6) Purchasing mistakes. Just because you bought it doesn’t mean you have to keep it. Did you buy based on price or need? Before purchasing anything ask yourself these questions.

A) where am I going to store this item?

B) what’s the purpose of this purchase?

C) what is the price per use? This is a good question because you’ll get clear on  whether you can rent the item when needed or can borrow it.

7) Stuck energy. Are you the storage unit for your family? Do you keep everything that has ever been in your family? If it gives you a heavy feeling it’s stuck energy. Pass it on with love and no sense of obligation to keep it.

8) Keep your car clear of chaos. Our cars need TLC just as much as our homes. Photocopy your registration and 2 insurance papers. Then black out your name and address in the unlikely event of a break-in at least the person doesn’t have your personal information.

PS: Are you feeling inspired to declutter or are you overwhelmed? Either way, I’d love to hear from you.  Please check out www.gettingittogether.ca for more details and a FREE 15-minute discovery session.

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:32+00:00October 23rd, 2018|Home Organization, Organizing to Move|0 Comments

What To Do With Business Cards

How often do you go to a networking event only to return back to your office with a mitt full of other people’s business cards?

You then have the best of intentions to sit down at your computer, fire off a note to each persona nod connect with them on social media.

A few days go by, a week, two weeks and then a month. Then 6 months and maybe years. Those cards are still sitting on your desk or by now they may have found a new home in one of the drawers or a box.

You still have the best of intentions to contact them however you feel like too much time has gone by.

Do you even remember these people and would they remember you?

Probably not.

So why not follow these simple Getting It Together Tips on “What to do with business cards” after watching this short video.

Tip #1: Be realistic. How many people can you truly connect with at one networking event?  It is better to get one or two really great connections than a handful of cards and not know anything about the other person or their business.

Tip#2:  Schedule follow up time in your calendar. Follow up is one of the most important things you can do in your business and one of the things most entrepreneurs fall short on.

Set aside 15 minutes per week whereby you will follow up with the people you met at the last networking meeting. Connect with them on Social Media, send them a quick note and/or give them a call.
Make sure you have a purpose for connecting. Is it to discuss future business ideas, book an appointment to exchange services and/or give them a referral?

Tip#3: File the card. Do you like to be paperless or do you still like to have a Rolodex?  Either way, once you have dealt with the business cards it is time to file them away. If you are paperless you probably have a scanning system in place. Take 15 minutes each week and scan the cards and then recycle them or if you still want the card, file it in your card holder system.

Don’t have either of these set up? What a perfect time to get your 15 minute FREE discovery session. We can chat about the best system for you and I’ll give you my most favorite app.
Send an email to Rowena@gettingittogether.ca  to book.

PS: The best time to start a new system is today. Don’t go back on all the years worth of business cards. If a card is a month or so old follow these steps. Anything older than that needs to be recycled unless you are going to connect on Social Media only.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:34+00:00December 14th, 2016|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

How to Organize Your Kids

Is clutter affecting your health or the health of your children?

Do you trip over toys, backpacks or had a stack of papers fall all over the place?

Many kids today feel stressed, rushed or disorganized. They have so many activities and more demands on them at school that the more organized they are the better.

Kids need to be kids…..however, living in a disorganized environment will cause stress at any age not to mention the affect clutter has on your health.

There is also a level of embarrassment that comes with living in chaos especially if your kids want to have their friends over.

Check out this short video on How to Organize Your Kids and then read on for Getting It Togethers Top 5 Tips

Tip #1 Monkey see…Monkey do.

If you want order in your home, you need to teach it to your children.  Kids feel important if they are a part of the solution – not the problem. Get them involved.

Tip #2 Kids can get very confused if you say to them “go pick up your toys” when they have toys all over the place. That is why it is best to have a toy “zone” Keep all their toys in one area of the home. Why not try this great tip when it is time to get your kids to clean up their toys?:  Have them go through the toy zone area and pick up only red toys; then, when they’re finished that, have them go and get all their blue toys or all their Lego.  This keeps things simple for them and clutter free.

Tip #3 Is it time to donate some of their toys?  Get your kids involved in the clearing of all their unused toys.  Put them in a box for the less fortunate.  They can do the same thing with their clothes and so can you! (If your children are really young you might want to do this tip while they are sleeping or at a play date)

Tip#4 Keep things simple when shopping for school supplies. Are there things from last year that can be used again this year? Backpacks, paper, pens etc.

This will save money in the long run if your children are taught how to reuse. It will also save you shopping time.

Tip #5 Have a basket for each child that holds  their school notices, backpack and homework. Take 5 minutes at the end of the day to see what notices need to be signed and returned. This will save the rush first thing in the morning. If you are rushed and stressed chances are your children will be to. The morning sets the tone for the day.

To keep things clutter free and organized for the kids Birthdays, Christmas, Grad, etc., why not try the following bonus tip:

Ask family and friends to donate money to one of your child’s favorite Charities.  Get your children involved with the Charity so that they can see first-hand how their “gift” is being put to use.

Imagine how easy it will be for you and your children to attend a Birthday party in the future.

In the mean time teach your children “a place for everything and everything in its place” and that “less is more”. The “less is more” concept sure helps on the pocket book. I am sure that once your children get organized and clutter free, you will find they are less stressed, have a better attention span and are happier and healthier. I’ll bet you will be too!

PS: Tired of papers all over the place? Check out the 1to31 organizing system

www.gettingittogether.ca/products

And in the mean time, share the love by sharing this link.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:35+00:00July 12th, 2016|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

How To Make Good Habits

Have you vowed to get organized once and for all?

Do you dream of impeccable time management habits?

Is this the year you will exercise, eat better, get more sleep, stop smoking or make some other positive change?

Why is it that some people can make good habits a habit and others can not?

Check out this short video on how to make good habits

And then read the Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips on how to make good habits.

Tip #1: Visualize. In order to move forward with new habits you need to see yourself already there. Visualize yourself as a non smoker or as eating healthy whole foods. Think about how this new habit will improve your life.

Tip #2: Journal. Once you have visualized yourself already in the new habit now you will want to keep track of it in a journal. Write out all the benefits of achieving this new habit like increased energy or that you will be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less once your home is all organized.

Tip #3: One step at a time. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to organize your whole home in one day? In most cases this is impossible however if you set up small baby steps you can accomplish it. Take 15 minutes a day and work on one small area. For example your sock drawer. Take out all the odd socks and holey ones. Donate any extras if you have too many pairs and leave the rest. Easy to do in 15 minutes for sure.

Tip #4: Grab a buddy. Things are always better with a buddy. Who do you know who would like to get in better shape? Team up with them for long walk and talks. Make it a habit to meet once twice or even three times a week. Make each other accountable. Leaving a comment in the comment box below is a great way to becoming accountable. Tell us what your new habit is and we will hold you to it.:)

Tip #5: Have a plan. Know what you need to do in order to reach your goals. What daily habits do you need to instill to keep organized, eat better, get in shape, or stop smoking?

PS: Enter to win!

Getting It Together has just had a makeover and we want to hear from you.  Please leave a comment in the comment box and your name will be entered into a draw to WIN a purse Organizer.

Check it out www.gettingittogether.ca/products

Share the love by sharing the link. Thank You

By |2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00October 28th, 2015|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|3 Comments

What To Do With Your Greeting Cards – Do You Toss, Keep, Store Or Dispose Of Them?

Several of the homes I am working in right now seem to have an over abundance of greeting cards. These are cards the family members have received over the years. One of the questions I get asked frequently is “should I keep these cards? I will get to that in a minute. In the mean time I find it interesting that most of these greeting cards are in an old box, they are bent and sometimes still in the envelope….unopened! Boxes of cards can get very dusty and musty smelling too.

Do you have boxes of greeting cards that you have received?

What is your purpose of keeping them?

Read on to get the TOP 5 Getting It Together’s TIPs on What to do with your greeting cards.

Tip#1 Decide if you are an Ecard person or a paper card person. Pick one method and stick to it. Some people are NO card people. Maybe as a family they have decided to not send any cards. (You might decide to put the money you would spend on cards and donate it to a charity of your choice) Then there is the “send out card” company. They do all the work for you once you have given them all your details.

Tip#2: Purpose. What is the purpose of keeping a card? If you give someone a card do you expect them to keep it FOREVER? Probably not. Just like if someone gives you a card they do not expect you to keep it forever. I heard of a lady who kept every card she had ever received. Her thought was that she would re-read them all one day when she was in an “old folks” home. She thought she would like to remember all the kind things people had said to her. I visit an extended care home once a week and I hate to say it but there is no room in those places for a lifetime supply of greeting cards.

Tip#3: Keep the very special ones. So you decide that yes indeed you would like to keep the very special cards. After each Birthday, Anniversary, festive holiday season sit down with a cup of tea.

Look over all your cards and select your 2-3 most precious ones. I put one or 2 of my most special greeting cards in random places in my www.1t031.com binder. That way when I open a page I get a warm fuzzy feeling from the person who sent me the card.

Tip#4: Store them properly. Once you have narrowed down your cards, store them in a plastic shoe box. Many hardware stores carry these boxes at a very reasonable price. Our local store just had them on for .67cents (Canadian) each. It would be fair to have one box per person in the household.

Tip#5: Recycle, repurpose. Please be sure to recycle all greeting cards you are not keeping or repurpose them. One way is to turn your old greeting cards into gift tags. Cut out part of the pretty picture, punch a hole in the upper corner and put a ribbon through it. Check in with your local school or senior centre’s to see if they would like cards for craft projects. I knew one lady who could take a greeting card and turn it into a box. She then put small candies or a piece of jewelry in it and gave them away.

Love to hear from you. What do you do with your greeting cards? Please leave a comment in the box below.

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PS: This picture is of the system I use to store new greeting cards. This box has dividers in it for all of the special occasions. Once I buy my cards I simply file them under the appropriate occasion. I also use my perpetual calendar that is part of my 1to31 Organizing System. This helps me keep track of all my friends and families Birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. Check it out www.1to31.com

By |2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00August 11th, 2015|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move|0 Comments

How to Avoid Shopping Traps

How often do you hear people say “oh it is only X dollars so I may as well get it”

Or

You are out shopping with a friend and the clerk lets you know that today only is “buy one get one free (BOGO) or buy one and get one at half price”

These and many more are some of the shopping traps we need to be aware of.

Check out this short video on how to avoid shopping traps

Then read on for Getting It Together’s Top 7 tips on How to Avoid Shopping Traps (not in any particular order)

  1. Gift with purchase. You will see this a lot at the cosmetic counters. Spend 50.00 and you get this for free. Now the interesting thing about these gifts is that they might not be the best items for you. Check and make sure you really need these free items or have a friend/family member that you can give them to. Do you have large quantities of unused cosmetic items sitting under the sink? Why not donate them to your local women’s shelter?RL1 (4)
  2. Bigger is better. All of the big box stores promote this mentality. Let’s get real! If you live on your own or have a really small family you probably do not need a life time supply of paper towels. It is better to keep your money in the bank than on your pantry shelf taking up valuable space. So often I clear out a client’s pantry only to find several hundreds of dollars of expired food items. Can you split large bulk items with your neighbour or a family member?
  3. Free Shipping (if purchase is over X amount). Don’t get caught up in buying unnecessary items just to get the free shipping. Better yet why not talk to a friend or family member and see if they need anything from that same store.
  4. Get them in all colours. I always thought that was interesting how Oprah talked about her favorite things and when she found a sweater she liked she got it in every colour. For her it is not about the money however when does a gal have that much time to wear all those sweaters?
  5. It’s on sale. This is not the reason to buy anything. The only reason to make a purchase is because you need the item. This is especially true for women’s clothing. You hear ladies say “well it was ONLY 9.99” but do they wear it? Just think, you have to spend to save!
  6. Complete your set. Ok if you have a fine china set and you use it and love it then you probably would want to have ample place settings to complete the set however in most other cases (which I cannot think of one can you?) then what set do you need to complete?
  7. Not having a purpose. We can get caught up in these traps by thinking that one day we might need that item. Whatever that item might be. Buy things as you need them.

5 Questions to ask yourself before purchasing.

  1. Do I need it?
  2. Do I have the money to buy this?
  3. Can I get it on sale or at a better price someplace else?
  4. Can I ask for this item for my Birthday, Anniversary or Christmas gift?
  5. What is the purpose of buying it?

This article is not about putting a damper on shopping which can be a fun past time for many. It is simply one way of looking at how to avoid shopping traps. We all make purchasing mistakes. Buy an item just because, or to make us feel happy or we feel we got talked into it just to name a few. However next time you head on out for a shopping day take these tips and maybe it will help you in being a more mindful shopper.

PS: My online marketing buddy Mary Charleson, wrote this great article on Target. I found it so interesting that I wanted to share it with you along with Mary’s FREE offer.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00May 19th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How To Get Financially Organized – Part 2

Hopefully by now you have your systems in place. Did you decide to go paperless or are you feeling more comfortable with a small file cabinet?Tab03b Did you check out the fees at your bank? If you received the 1to31 organizing system how are you doing with it? Do you need a quick consultation on how to get the most from it? If so please contact me and I will walk you through it. In the mean time, check out this short video on

How
To Get Financially Organized

– part 2

and then read Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips Tip #1: Automatic savings. Set up an automatic savings deposit every month. Look at your finances and decide what amount can go to your savings accounting. If it is done automatically you will not miss it. Even small amounts add up. Check out the documentary “livingononedollar” if you do not believe me. I save all of my change and add it to this account. Those loonies and toonies add up for those of us living in Canada. I see the States have a one dollar coin now too. Welcome to our world America. Tip #2: Make a monthly date with yourself. Once a month take the time to look over your financial situation. Review your bank statements and files in your file cabinet if you are not paperless. If you receive everything online set up files on your computer using the same file names in tip 1 from part 1 of

How To Get Financially Organized
 

. Also each month reconcile your spending, your cheque book and your budget. Tip #3: Have a financial goal. Whether you are just starting out in your first job or are established in your career it is important to have a financial goal. How much do you want to save each year? How much do you want to donate if anything? Take a good hard look at all of your expenses and come up with a plan. If you find this overwhelming give me a call and I will help you organize all of this. This tip alone will be very empowering if done correctly even if you do not make the kind of money you would like to be making at this moment in time. Tip #4: Clear out the old. Once a year clear out all of your old bills, investment statements and any other papers that happen to make their way into your files. That can happenJ Tip #5: Talk. It is important to talk to your kids early on in life about money and finances. Get them to set up a short term and long term savings account. Talk to your partner about your financial goals. Do you have the same values around money, saving and spending? P.S.>> Click here to listen to my Guest spot on BlogTalkRadio. It was so much fun! A great short story to end with. Shared by one of my readers. Thank you The Magic Bank Account Imagine that you had won the following *PRIZE* in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use.  However, this prize has rules: The set of rules: 1. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. 2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. 3. You may only spend it. 4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day. 5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, “Game Over!”. It can close the account and you will not receive a new one. What would you personally do? You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for. Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew it would be replenished in the morning, right? ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL … Shocked??? YES! Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can’t seem to see it. The PRIZE is *TIME*

  1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life.
  2. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not credited to us.
  3. What we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.
  4. Yesterday is forever gone
  5. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time WITHOUT WARNING…

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.  Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think. So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life! Here’s wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start “spending”….

DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD…!

SOME PEOPLE DON’T GET THE PRIVILEGE!

 

How To Get Financially Organized Part 1

Do you panic when it comes to tax time?

Do you dream of having all of your important papers ready at any given moment for the bank?

Like when you are going for a loan or mortgage.

If your house was on fire what would you grab?

The interesting thing is almost everyone interviewed says their photos. No one ever says their important documents. In fact both are very hard to replace if not almost impossible.

Why not set up a system that is easy to grab? Yes for the most part things will be on your computer however I have found that people still like to have a paper trail. I think it is because we feel more in control if we have that important document in our hands and then we can file it. We can see it at a quick glance and more importantly we can touch it. What do you think? Please leave it in the comment box below.

We are still not a paperless society. There are certain things that we need handy in paper format like a power of attorney or a will.

In order to get financially fit I would suggest watching this quick video (Part One) and then follow these simple Getting It Together’s Top 5 tips on how to get financially organized.

Tip #1: Set up a small and I mean small file cabinet or portable file box. The reason you want to keep it small is so you will toss out the outdated information as the new information comes in.

Create File Folders for:

  • Savings Account
  • Chequing account
  • Credit Card accounts (I suggest having two credit cards especially if you travel)
  • Retirement accounts
  • Mortgage
  • Investment accounts
  • Insurance: life, critical illness, disability, home and car
  • Loans
  • Will and power of attorney
  • Tax return from past yr and current yr.
  • Miscellaneous

I personally have all these important documents in a binder. My executor knows exactly where it is and what is in it. 1to31-4663 medThis will make her job easier when the time comes for her to deal with my affairs. Being this organized with your important papers is a gift you give to the people who are left to deal with your affairs. There is nothing worse than trying to find all the important papers while grieving.

Tip #2: Set up online banking and telephone banking. Like it or not sooner than later we will have to do 90% of our banking online and why not? It is a great way to save time. You can do all of your banking while the kids sleep or on your coffee break at work.

Tip #3: Set up automatic bill payments. The best thing I ever did to get financially organized was setting up all of my bills to be pre-authorized to go on my visa. Then once a month my Visa gets paid automatically from my account. Yes it is important to check your credit card statement to make sure that all of the purchases are yours. You can do that online before it gets paid. If you set up this system it is important to pay your credit card off in full each month. The last thing you want is to be paying interest on your phone bill etc. The best part is you get extra travel miles if you collect those.

If you are not comfortable with automatic bill payments then set yourself up a little area in your home where you pay bills. Is it in the kitchen or do you have a small office area? Make sure you have the supplies required.

  • Stamps
  • Envelopes
  • Pens
  • Paper
  • Return address labels
  • Shredder
  • Recycle bin.

Once the bill is paid file it until the next months bill comes in at which point you can shred the last months bill. There is no need to keep a life time of phone bills. Even if you are in business for yourself you only have to keep 7 years worth. All major companies keep a record of our bills should you ever need an old statement.

Tip #4: Reduce banking fees. Check with your bank to see how you can reduce monthly banking fees. If I keep a balance of $1000.00 or more in my account I avoid all fees. If you are a senior you might be able to avoid fees. Each bank has different policies. Shop around to get the best deal for you.

Tip #5: Use your 1to31 system. Don’t have one yet? Check it out at www.1to31.com

If you are still getting paper bills file them under the date in which they need to be paid. The 1to31 is the best place to keep track of them.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:38+00:00April 14th, 2015|Organizer, Organizing Finances, Tax Organization|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 attend a charity event in style

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADo 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 |2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 12th, 2015|Uncategorized|0 Comments

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