Blog - Page 16 of 26 - Getting it Together

Being a Good House Guest

Have you ever thought about what being a good house guest looks like?

Would you like it if your house guests knew how to act better?

Check out this short video on being a good house guest.

You might want to share it with your family and friends.

I would like to think that if you follow these tips you will not smell!

Tip#1 Don’t offer to help.
I know this sounds strange. What I have found is that if you ask your hostess if she needs any help she often reply’s with “no, just sit and relax”.
You are better off just seeing what needs to be done and doing it. For example, throw the dishes in the dish washer or tidy up the living room.

Tip#2 Clean up after yourself.
You know the saying “do unto others as you would like have done unto you”. Well the same goes for being a house guest. If you had guests you would want them to tidy up after themselves. Take your sheets off your bed and toss them in the washer. Use your hand towel to wipe down the bathroom sink and mirror.

Tip#3 Don’t spread.
I have had house guests that have their stuff in every single room of my home. When it is time for them to pack up, they seem to always miss a thing or two. I always do a “sweep” of the house to see what is left behind before they take off.

Tip#4 Pay your way.
Treat your hostess to coffee, take her flowers and buy some groceries.

Tip#5 Send a thank you card.
I love finding great greeting cards. Send a hand written note. It really does mean a lot to the people who have had you in their home.

Have you taken advantage of your FREE 20 minute session? Why not do that today?

I will give you one of my all time favorite organizing tips. We can discuss your clearing the clutter needs as well.

If you like this video on being a good house guest please click the “like” button and then share it with your friends.

And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:45+00:00October 6th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer, Travel Organization|0 Comments

Getting It Together’s FAQ’s – Part 4

Thank you to all of my amazing readers for sending in your questions! It is really fun getting them and then answering them for everyone. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions that I have received:

Q: What can I do with empty chocolate box inserts? You know the kind with all the little compartments.

A: Hope you enjoyed all the chocolates guilt free! Those inserts are so handy in office desk drawers for paper clips, tacks, and any other small items. They are also great in your bedroom drawer for housing earrings, rings and small jewelry items. If your kids are old enough put them in their playroom for all the really small Lego pieces.

Q: Rowena, do you have a handy use for the plastic clips that come on my loaves of bread?

A: You will love this one. Check out the photo. Use one clip per electrical cord. They make great labels. What do you think?

Q: I live in a 2 story home. What is your best tip for helping me keep organized?

A: Have a basket at the bottom of the stairs. Put any items in the basket that need to go upstairs. Never go up stairs empty handed. Take the basket with you. Put the items away and return the basket to the bottom step. Get your family involved in this action as well.

Q: I love cutting out decorating ideas. What should I do with all the magazine cutouts?

A: Are you decorating right now or will you be decorating in the next 3-6 months? If so keep decorating ideas in a file. Store the file in your desk or file cabinet. If you are not decorating right now but “one day” would like to, then wait until closer to that time to start cutting out and saving ideas. I know what you are thinking. Ya but I like this idea right now. I know, but taste and style change with seasons and each year.

Q: What should I do with all my empty CD cases?

A: Where are the CD’s? I am going to assume they are in a CD binder. Donate the cases.

Q: I recycle, compost and I am very mindful of packaging however I still seem to have lots of garbage. How can I cut back on my garbage?

A: Great question, as I know we are all trying very hard to cut back on our garbage. Metro Vancouver produces nearly a million tons of garbage a year! Garbage from homes, condos and apartments makes up nearly a third of the regions waste.

When possible, buy in bulk. This will reduce the amount of packaging.

Use your cloth shopping bags even if you are going clothes shopping. Use a stainless steel water bottle and fill it up from the tap. I like to keep one on my desk, one in my car and a couple for the gym. Reduce the amount of things you print off your computer. Use both sides of the paper. Take your own coffee cup to business meetings, social meetings and coffee shops. Shop at consignment stores. Especially for kids toys. This will really cut back on packaging. Together we can all make a difference.

Q: My kids played every sport known to man. They have grown out of most of the sporting equipment. What can I do with it all? Some of the soccer shoes are still in great shape. The hockey sticks are like new and we seem to have an overflow of bikes, rackets and balls.

A: By now most of you know my theory. “Nothing takes on value unless it is being used”. Please pass things on as soon as you are done with them so someone else can take pleasure in those items.

You can sell some of these items on CraigsList or Kijiji. Check for a local used sports store. Vancouver has a great one called “Sports Junkie.” Go to your local baseball/soccer field and speak to the moms on the sideline. Donate to your local school or church.

Q: I am getting ready to downsize. HELP!! I have my late parent’s photo albums. What should I do with all these photos? I do not know who is in the pictures and I am not sure where the pictures were taken. Many of them are of their vacations.

A: Most of us have a hard enough time keeping track of our own photos let alone our parents. In the end, these photos were your parent’s memories and treasures. It is time for them to go. You might want to do a quick check and see if there are one or two very special family photos that you would like to keep.

Q: I’ve been wearing prescription glasses for over ten years. Each year or two I get a new pair. What can I do with all my outdated eyeglasses?

A: I drop all my glasses off at Bonsor recreation centre in Burnaby. They send all prescription glasses to third world countries. Check with your local optical store. I’ll bet they have the same program.

Q: I have all my old calendars/datebooks. I’ve been saving them for years. What shall I do with them?

A: TOSS! Unless there is a purpose for keeping them than toss. Ask yourself “what is the reason for keeping these?” Do you ever look back on these calendars to see what you did five years ago? Most people do not have that kind of time or interest. They are busy with TODAY.

Have you taken advantage of your FREE phone consultation? If not, be sure to contact me TODAY. We will discuss your personal needs, questions and concerns. I’ll give you tips on downsizing and how to move forward with clearing the clutter.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:45+00:00September 25th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization, Time Management|0 Comments

Best Bran Muffin Recipe

How would you like to have 6 weeks’ worth of bran muffin mixture in your fridge?

How would your family like hot, fresh muffins in the morning?

We all know that one of the best organizing tips is to cook or bake in bulk. It takes no more time to make a huge pot of soup as it does a small one. You still have to cut up the veggies, etc. Each time I make this best bran muffin recipe ever I think of you, my readers. You might have seen this recipe in the past or maybe you are seeing it for the first time. Either way, I have updated it, made it healthier and added a twist. My mom says “she thinks she could sing after eating one because of all the nuts and seeds.”

Try this simple recipe and be ready to make it again and again. It is LOW fat and no added sugar.

Best Bran Muffin recipe ever

2 cups All bran cereal

2 cups Boiling water

1 tsp Salt

Combine in a large bowl or plastic tub (remember it needs to fit in the fridge for up to 6 weeks)

Next

In a mixing bowl cream together:

1 cup Cooking oil

4 Eggs

4 1/3 cups Buttermilk (equals the 1 liter container) I use the low fat kind.

Add this mixture to the above cereal mixture

Lastly

Add these remaining ingredients to your above big bowl of mixture

5 cups flour (I use spelt or whole wheat)

4 cups Natural Bran

3 tbsp Baking soda

Let this mixture stand overnight in the fridge.

When you are ready to bake some muffins, simply put a small amount of the mixture in a bowl (the large batch might separate while in the fridge. Not to worry just give it a good stir). Add whatever you like. For example: cinnamon, dried fruit, hemp hearts, flax seeds, nuts, applesauce. Get creative. No two batches need to be the same. Make sure it is muffin recipe consistency. Not too moist and runny. Bake filled greased muffin cups ¾ full at 400 F (200 C) for about 20-30 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean.

I love the new silicone muffin cups. You do not need the grease or the paper liners. They are the best invention.

I would love to hear what you put in your muffins. Please leave me a comment below.

For quicker, great bulk cooking ideas please contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. I will give you ideas and suggestions on how to move forward in a more organized bulk-cooking way.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:45+00:00September 10th, 2012|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Tips on Effective Time Management

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said to me “I need more time.”

It is crazy how busy we have become. We have all the modern conveniences and still do not have enough time.

Is it that we are not spending our time wisely?

Are we trying to cram too much in to a day?

Or do we need to be more organized?

Did you know it takes 40% less time to clean an organized home? What will you do with that extra time?

I am going to share with you 5 tips on effective time management that are simple!

By implementing this tips below, you will see your productivity soar.

The more organized you are the more time you will have.

“If you don’t take the time, time will take you.”

Tip#1

Create a list with the top six most important things to do.

Many years ago when I first started off in business I learned this tip. Each night before going to bed write out the six most important things you want to do the next day. The experts say that 6 items on a list are not so overwhelming. Any more than that and a person might become paralyzed by the magnitude of tasks. I like to have a list for work related tasks and one for personal.

Make item number one your least favorite thing to do. Get it over with right away. For example, it might be to call the leads you got from the latest trade show you did. If you do not get all your most important things done in one day then transfer them over to the next day. You might have
overestimated your time.

Tip#2

Focused time.

Take 4 or 5 colour markers and block off time in your datebook/family calendar or computer for work, personal, family, and spiritual. Do this at the beginning of each month. I block off all the times I want to work in green. Family time is in pink, etc. When a client calls to book an appointment
I look for any green spots that are still open. When a family member calls for a dinner date I look at any pink spots that are free. When you see all the coloured squares at a glance you can see how balanced your life is. Do you have too many green squares and not enough pink?

Tip#3

Take 15.

End each work day by taking 15 minutes to clear your desk off and prepare for the next day. Take 15 minutes at the end of the night to prepare your kitchen for the next morning. These 15 minutes will save you hours in the long run. There is nothing worse than walking into your office and
finding a pile of papers left from the day before. Or walking into your kitchen and finding all the dinner dishes from the night before.

Tip#4

Time Busters.

Be mindful of any time busters. Do you use a timer when going on the computer? Have you thought to yourself “oh I’ll just quickly check emails” and 2 hours later you are still sitting there? Do you get interrupted? Do you answer your phone when you are in the middle of a meeting or high priority project? These can be some common time busters. Stay focused to each task and you’ll be amazed at how much more time you have.

Tip#5

Relinquish control.

The need to do it all. Delegate with confidence. Trust that the job will get done. Look at all the things you do in a day. Delegate what you can. For example, your kids can make the beds. They might not look the way you would do it but they are made. Is there a person at your workplace that can help you with some tasks?

By using these 5 simple tips on effective time management, your productivity will skyrocket and you may actually have time to linger over a cup of coffee for once.

Have you taken the time to have your FREE 20 minute session with me?
I will look at your time, how you are spending it and how we can come up with a plan for you to have more time.
Contact me at https://www.gettingittogether.ca to book your FREE session today.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00August 20th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

Storing Greeting Cards by Rowena List Professional Organizer and Speaker

How many greeting cards do you get in a month, a year?

Have you ever thought of storing greeting cards?

Do you just toss them or do you keep them all?

Take a minute to watch this short video on storing greeting cards.

I have heard of people who have every greeting card they ever received. Can you imagine the amount of space dedicated to them? Think how much storage real estate is given up to storing greeting cards! I even worked with a lady who had them all bundled by year. The elastic bands were so old they fell apart on us.

What is the purpose of storing greeting cards? You need to ask yourself this question until you get a firm solid answer. In the end my client decided to toss all of the cards. She did not have room for “storing greeting cards” she just couldn’t keep them all anymore. They were all dusty. She had even paid to have them shipped from England to Canada. Now that is an expensive greeting card.Do you have a greeting card story to share? Please leave it in the comment box below.

Some people think they will re-read them later on in life. Have you ever done that?

Why not keep the very very special ones in your momento box?

If you like this video, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends. And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your homein 15 minutes or less.

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By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00August 14th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move|0 Comments

100 Bags: Organizing Fabric

Mary’s “Before”

Have you ever wondered what a Professional Organizer might do with 5000 pounds of fabric?

The best part of my job is to support my clients in moving forward with clearing their clutter. The next best thing is seeing how they feel and how their lives move forward because they have cleared their clutter.

The most important thing in my job is to not judge. I go into a situation with no attachment to my clients things. I go in with an attachment to the outcome. I am working with a client right now (we will call her “Mary”) who has given me the permission to write a little bit about the journey of her stuff. Thank you Mary for this opportunity. I admire you for stepping out of your comfort zone and tackling your sewing room.

First things first.

It has come to my attention that there are homes which have an over abundance of fabric.

I can see the fascination with the beautiful textures, colours and styles of fabric. The key, as with anything is “nothing takes on value unless it is being used”. I can see how a person could get caught up in a fabric store. They see all the fabrics and their creative mind starts to wonder. I could make this; I could make that and so on. Dreams and goals are being set right then and there. But do you have the time for all of those projects?

It is important to buy only what you need at the moment. I’ll explain why.

Boxes and boxes of fabric sitting in a fabric room are not taking on value. The volume is so large the fabric will never get fully used. A person may tend to get overwhelmed by the volume and may become paralyzed from moving forward.

It is important to have a project in mind when purchasing fabric. Buy what you need and what you will use in a reasonable amount time.

“Mary” had been collecting fabric for over 20 years. Will you ever be able to use all that fabric? Probably not.

So “Mary” and I went about sorting, purging and organizing fabric.

Some of the fabric was outdated because it had been there for so long.

What once looked like a cool piece of fabric now looked “old lady-like” like or too high maintenance. (Only dry clean, etc.)

“Mary” feels she has about ten more years of sewing in her. Sewing is her hobby. With that in mind it was time to seriously downsize.

Each time we worked together she commented on how great it felt to go into her sewing room. The room felt lighter. She felt more creative. It was no longer a fire hazard or trip zone. The rest of the family was happy and thrilled to see the transformation. Her husband was so excited he built shelves for the rubber containers that will hold the fabric she is going to keep. It will all get labeled.

Are you curious as to where all the fabric went?

The Salvation Army took all “blanket” fabric. They make nice thick blankets for our homeless. A friend of hers took 8 bags (at 40-50 lbs per bag). A Halloween costume business took ten bags. A photographer took all the boudoir fabric. A family of sewers took 16 bags and was thrilled to receive the fabric. One of the family members is starting out in a purse making business. This really helped her. 50 plus bags went to the Mennonite ladies. They make blankets and clothes and send them all over the world.

Because all the fabric was going to a good place “Mary” was motivated to really purge. I am so proud of her and all of her efforts. Everyone involved is happy and the fabric is being put to good use.

Do you have an over abundant amount of fabric? Finding it hard to sort, purge, donate or keep it? Please contact me for a FREE 20 minute session.

We will discuss organizing fabric,your sewing room, craft room, or fabric situation and help you move forward.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00August 6th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

Storing Chargers-How to Keep Track of Yours by Rowena List, Professioanl Organizer

How many phone chargers do you have? Phone chargers for your phone, your spouse, your kids, the phone you owned three years back?

Do you have a way of storing chargers?

Do you have chargers but no phone? I see this a lot in homes. Bags and boxes of electronic chargers. None of them labeled so we do not know what they belong to.

If you have not needed the charger in the last week my guess is you will not need it. Open that drawer of chargers and think about it. Are you storing chargers you haven’t used in weeks, months, will you really use them again?

photo via dave patten

Please take a moment to watch this short video on storing chargers-

Now take a moment to label all of your chargers. I like to use the small plastic bread bag clips. You can write on them and attach to the cord of the chargers

Did you know that the number one item people leave behind in a hotel room is their phone charger? You can go to any front desk and ask for one as they have boxes of them. Some what like your local swimming pool with swim goggles.

Do you have a great story about “storing chargers?” Please leave it in the comment box below.

If you like this video, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends. And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.
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By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00July 24th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Travel Organization|0 Comments

The Best Way to Wash and Store Berries by Rowena List Professional Organizer of Getting it Together

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Just a few of the fabulous berries we can get fresh in the summer time. Which ones are your favorite? photo via Sharon Mollerus

I love blueberries.I’ll go to our local farm and buy pounds of them. You never want your berries to go bad.Why not watch this short video on-

The best way to wash and store Berries

I love to freeze berries. It is so handy to have them for my protien shakes in the winter. It makes the work of discovering the best way to wash and store berries worth it! How about you? What things do you do with your berries? Are you a jam maker? A pie maker? Do you like to can?

A great berry bush can produce a prolific harvest, it’s a good thing the list of uses is so long! I knew a woman whose raspberry bushes but out so many raspberries they stored them in gallon ice cream containers and handed them out to everyone who visited. She was in need of advice on the best way to wash and store berries for certain.

What is the best way to wash and store berries that you have found?

Please leave your comments below.

If you like this video, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends. And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.
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By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00July 24th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Laundry Room Must Haves: How to Organize Yours

How do you feel about doing laundry?

Do you wish there was a magic fairy that came to your home once a week and did yours?

Do you long for a nice organized laundry room?

Is your laundry room a dumping ground for all of the family backpacks, shoes, coats, recycling and more?

There are certain laundry room must haves.

In this short video I will show you some of them.

One area I forgot to film was under my laundry room sink. I have included a photo so you can see how I store my laundry detergent etc. I installed the functional pull out shelf- a definite laundry room must haves. These are so great to have not only in your laundry room but in your pantry or cookware cupboards. More on that in another blog.

Recently I found a really cool drying rack that I added to my laundry room must haves. Check it out in the photo. It is perfect for small spaces. IKEA had it hung in the small shower area.

It is a good idea to have a place in your laundry room or home where you can hang your delicates to dry. The less we use our dryer the better it is on our environment and our clothes.

So why not take some time this weekend and get your laundry room back in order.Make sure you include your laundry room must haves.

1. Take out all non related items.

2. Get some hooks or shelves if need be.

3. Toss out all the detergents bleaches etc that you do not use.

4. Give your washer and dryer a wipe down.

5. Toss in a load of laundry.

Still having challenges with getting organized? Call today for a FREE phone consultation.

I’ll give you a few tips to getting started right away.

What is number one on your laundry room must haves list? Tell us in the comments!

If you like this video, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends. And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your homein 15 minutes or less.

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By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00July 23rd, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Organizing Your Inbox: 15 Minutes to Freedom

How do you feel when you look at your email inbox?

Are you overwhelmed by the number of emails you receive every day?

Do you wish you could tame your inbox?

Become a pro at organizing your inbox?

Would you like to be more productive?

I use to pride myself on getting my inbox to zero by the end of each day. As time went on and life got busier, I began to feel comfortable with having 20 unread emails still in my inbox. Then it went up to 40. After writing this article I am committed to getting it back down to zero.

Every day I get calls or requests for organizing emails. I think many of you, like me, have a love/hate relationship with our inbox. What was life like before email? It is so hard to remember. Email can be a real time buster however, it can also be a real time saver if used properly.

I think of how I used to “snail” mail my newsletters and now with a click of a button I can send out thousands. Since the computer is here to stay why not try these-

Simple tips on organizing your inbox

Please let me know how you do with these tips on organizing your inbox. Write your comments in the box below.

Tip#1 Exercise control. This is a tough one for me. I am so use to checking emails first thing in the morning. The more I learn about productivity the more I can see how this is a BIG time buster. Do you catch yourself checking emails and then wondering off to social media or the internet? Before you know it an hour or 2 has gone by. To be the most productive, check emails 2-3 times per day at most unless your job requires otherwise. I am committed to doing this. Please join me. Most importantly turn off email notifications!

Tip#2 Unsubscribe. Take a close look at all the newsletters you subscribe to. Are they of importance in your life right now? For example, you might have subscribed to “child care” newsletters when your children were first born. Now that they are older, is that information relevant? When your organizing your inbox set up a “to read” folder for all other newsletters you enjoy and find helpful. Immediately move them from your inbox to your folder. Or you can set up a RRS feed in Google Reader. Put a filter to go straight “to read”. Once a week or on your lunch break go through the folder. If you find your “to read” folder gets overloaded then it is time to reassess.

Tip#3 Action Folder. Create an action folder. Store all emails that you need to take action on. These are not important or urgent emails. Take 15 minutes a day and deal with each email one by one. Can you delegate any of the “actions” or can you delete them?

Tip#4 Important Folder. Pick the top 10-15 most important emails and move them to this folder. Deal with these right away. Because they are in this folder you will not get side tracked. Once you have dealt with those 10- 15 then move another 10-15 over and deal with those.

Tip#5 New Policy. Every new email that comes in will follow this new policy of being filed. Say goodbye to inbox overflow and hello to 15 minutes of freedom. Let people know you will only be checking emails 2 – 3 times per day and that you will get back to them in a timely manner unless your job/personal life requires different. Ask friends and family to take you off their “joke” list. Yes it is fun to get them and funny to read however it is not productive and again it is so easy to get sidetracked. If you absolutely love getting jokes then set up a folder for them. Read them at the end of the day or on weekends.

80% of what we file never gets looked at again!!

Try to keep your outgoing emails short and to the point. One subject per email. Be mindful to change the subject line if you have changed subjects in a reply. I like to give as much information in the subject line as I can. For example: “Birthday Party for Sue on Friday night 7 pm-please confirm.” This is so helpful for filing purposes and quick references. When necessary pick up the phone. Things can get lost in email translation.

Are you still feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails? Pick up the phone and get your FREE consultation.

I will support you in moving forward with organizing your inbox

We will discuss strategies that will be best for you and your inbox situation. You will be so much more productive and stress free.

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By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00July 9th, 2012|Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments