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Confessions Of A Professional Organizer: Part 1

Confessions Of A Professional Organizer: Part 1

Do you find it hard to believe that a professional organizer has anything to toss out?

Do you struggle with tossing things out?

Do you struggle with what to do with your photos?

Check out this short video on Confessions of a Professional Organizer then check out the following tips from Getting It Together:

Tip 1: It’s important to know your limit. I have one Rubbermaid container that holds all my photos/photo albums. If the lid doesn’t shut then it’s time to downsize some of the photos. This is what happened recently when I brought a photo album home from my mom’s place.

Tip 2: Like me, you might have pictures of people from your past that are no longer in your life. If you look at a picture and it brings you joy keep it. If you look at a picture and it doesn’t bring you joy then it’s time to toss it. Also keep in mind, how many pictures do you need to tell the story?

Are you wondering why I wouldn’t digitalize all my photos?

I enjoy holding the actual photo album or the pictures and flipping through them. I find that I hardly ever look at pictures that are on my computer. We have so much time on our computers that it’s important to step away from them. My photo albums help with that.

Of course, all the pictures that I take with my digital camera or phone are on my computer and I don’t print them. The photos that are in my Rubbermaid go back from pre-digital pictures. Maybe one day I might digitize them all.

What are your thoughts on that? Leave them in the comment box below.

Please share the love by sharing this link with your family and friends and also posting it on social media.

And check out www.gettingittogether.ca

By |2020-09-22T20:11:37+00:00September 22nd, 2020|Home Organization, Organization Tips|12 Comments
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Not Trusting May Be Causing You To Lose Out On Valuable Relationships

You may have noticed on my Facebook page (if you’re not connected please do so here) that I have been doing a lot of hiking during COVID-19. One of the key components when hiking with others is trust. If I didn’t trust the people I hiked with, I would miss out on lasting relationships that are grower deeper by the day.

How do you build trust?

Would you like to have more trust in the relationships that you’re in?

Are you finding relationships stressful during this world pandemic?

Listen to this short video on Not Trusting May Be Causing You To Lose Out On Valuable Relationships then read on for Getting It Togethers’ top 7 tips on building trust.


 

Boundaries: I find a lot of people have a challenge with the word boundaries. They feel it means shutting people out and putting up barriers. This is not true. Boundaries are about knowing what is right for you and what you are willing to put up with and not put up with. It’s about stating your boundaries so that those around you are clear. For example; my hiking buddies and I have boundaries around safety over speed. We are not in a race. We need to make sure that everyone in the group feels safe and secure about the hike. If we didn’t trust, we couldn’t go where we go.

Reliability: One of the most endearing qualities of any person is if they keep their word.
How often have you set up a time to meet with a friend and then they jam? This does not build trust in a relationship. I trust my hiking buddies will be where they say they will be and at the time they say which builds accountability.

Accountability: Building trust in a relationship means taking responsibility for your actions. Is there someone you need to apologize to? If so, make that a priority today. It’s not about being right, it’s about getting it right.

Vault: Trust is built when you know that a person is not going share what you have told them in confidence. It’s not worth it to risk a relationship by spreading unnecessary stories or gossip.

Integrity: Do you know people with integrity? I’m sure you do. And I’m sure you also know people without integrity. Choosing right over wrong can be challenging and uncomfortable but necessary. Don’t risk your own integrity by not adhering to your values. It’s not worth it in the long run.

Non-judgment: COVID-19 seems to have brought out the judgement in mankind. We need to trust those in positions of authority and we need to trust that we are all doing our very best. The last thing anyone needs right now, while struggling, is to be judged. We trust people that don’t judge us.

Generosity: Isn’t it wonderful when someone is generous with their compassion if we have screwed up? Let’s face it, in all relationships there will be times when we mess up. Hopefully it’s not something major where the trust has been broken. If so, you get to decide if the relationship is worth rebuilding or if it’s time to move on.

We have relationships that are for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. There can be a lot of grief when a relationship does not last. It’s important to feel that grief and extrapolate the lessons and good times from it. I can speak from a lot of experience.

P.S.: Is it time to reexamine some of your relationships? Is it time to start trusting yourself more?
Are you struggling with a particular relationship in your life right now? If so, please take advantage of the free over the phone discovery session. Book today at www.gettingittogether.ca

By |2020-08-19T19:19:59+00:00August 19th, 2020|Self Care Organization|0 Comments
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How To Organize Your Music?

Do you have more than one place to play music?

Are you keeping CD’s just in case? Just in case are the three deadliest words.

Would you like to streamline your music once and for all?

I did just that while we were in quarantine.

I personally have all my Cd’s downloaded on my computer which are also on my iPod.

I have a Google Home. And I have free music on my phone.

Way too much!!

All the cd’s went to donate.

The iPod is in the closet for travel and may find its way to donate before long as I can use my phone. What are your thoughts on that?

Check out this short video by Getting It Together on How To Organize Your music

https://youtu.be/34TFNWgsld8?t=6

And for fun, check out this short video from 10 years ago on How To Organize Your Cd’s

https://youtu.be/YQmnUsOZt2w

By |2020-07-21T19:14:08+00:00July 21st, 2020|Home Organization, Organization Tips|0 Comments
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How To Organize While in Quarantine – Part 4

Are you wondering when life will get back to the way it was?

Are you trying to adjust to our new normal? I know I am.

I had a couple of areas in my condo that needed addressing. My school yearbooks. I’ve moved them three times over the years. Never again! They take up valuable real estate and I don’t look at them. What’s the point of keeping them?

Check out this short video on How To Organize a While in Quarantine part-4

And then let me know your thoughts by commenting below.

PS. If you need help organizing your home or have any questions for me, feel free to email me directly at rowena@gettingittogether.ca

 

 

By |2020-07-06T19:08:13+00:00June 23rd, 2020|Home Organization, Organization Tips, Organizer|0 Comments
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How To Organize In A Quarantine – Part 3

We have been in self-isolation/quarantine for three months now. For many of you, this has been a very long and hard road with not only trying to home school your children, work from home and prepare meals every single day.

Check out this short video by Getting It Together on How To Organize For A Quarantine Part 3. Then read on for the TOP 3 helpful tips.

Tip 1: Always cook in bulk. Even if you’re making a roast dinner, prepare extra vegetables and potentially turn the leftovers into a stew which can be frozen in single servings. IMG_6904

Tip 2: Have a menu plan for two weeks at a time. Rotate that menu plan for the first two weeks of every month followed by a different menu plan for the last two weeks of every month.

Tip 3: Keep things simple and healthy.

PS: Are you still finding it a challenge to cook? Check out my new services where I will come right to your kitchen and prepare healthy freezer meals for you and your family. Contact rowena@gettingittogether.ca for rates and bookings. IMG_6902

PPS: Check out these two exciting podcasts where I was a guest on Heart Sells Podcast based in Germany.

231 Getting IT Together with Rowena List

232 Making Space For Magic with Rowena List

And when you are done with all this insight, please check out

https://www.facebook.com/HeartSellsPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOk7tVeHsgaoyJnV9iJfRTg

Share the LOVE by sharing this blog

By |2020-06-07T20:52:25+00:00May 25th, 2020|Home Organization, Self Care Organization|0 Comments
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How To Organize In A Quarantine – Part 2

Check out this short video  on How To Organize In A Quarantine. Part 2 then read my talented Toastmasters friends Poem.

Staying at home, being quiet can bring out some of your talents and creativity. It sure did for this person, don’t you think?

Corona virus poem

As I sits here in self isolation away from my friends

I think of what I can do until the quarantine ends.

I look all around me there’s plenty to clean

I could scrub and disinfect until all is a gleam

Or I could go out to shop buy things that we need

But the shelves are all empty so unlikely to succeed.

Its funny how toilet paper is so popular these days

There must be some people using it in unimaginable ways.

People are staying at home and learning to cook

Using an internet recipe or an old recipe book

I look out of the window thinking what should I do

And that’s when I see sky in a beautiful blue hue

 

Outside is so sunny , so warm and so bright

I decide to go out and enjoy all the light.

I sit on the front porch in my adorondack chair

Looking out on the street I see something quite rare.

The neighbor is out with his kids all in tow

Other families are biking all in a row

There are joggers and skaters and kids towed in a cart

Of course they are all keeping 6 feet apart

Another neighbor I haven’t seen for some time

Walks by, gives a wave and hopes all is just fine.

There’s gardeners outside pulling up weeds

Others are mowing , pruning and planting some seeds.

One kid is up climbing so high up a tree

Reminds me of childhood. Oh I was so free.

The sidewalk and roadway has pictures of chalk

A man and his wife take their dog for a walk,

 

IMG_6803

Its refreshing to see the neighborhood so alive

I guess Covid 19 brought everyone outside.

 

And that’s when I realize that in this odd Spring

Its teaching us to appreciate some simpler thing

Like being a good neighbor, family member and friend

We’re in this together until this pandemic’s end.

 

Written by AM of Coquitlam BC Canada

Permission to use was granted.

 

PS: We are 4-6 weeks in quarantine. Have you checked off several of your “To Dos”?

If not, why not take advantage of a FREE over the phone coaching call with Rowena.

Check out www.gettingittogether.ca to book your time.

 

In the mean time subscribe to her Facebook and YouTube

https://www.facebook.com/rowenalist?ref=profile

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMcjOCWSWaIBtw9CR3cLxfg?view_as=subscriber

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00April 27th, 2020|Home Organization|0 Comments
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How To Organize For A Quarantine

From one minute to the next, things are changing and they are changing fast.

I think we are all sitting on pins and needles just waiting for the next bombshell to drop.

In the mean time, it is important to stay positive and carry on as best we can.

We are all going to be tested. Our patience, our attitude and our compassion to name a few.

What would you do if you were forced to quarantine or if it was suggested you self-quarantined?

Check out this video on How To Organize For A Quarantine

Before and after ideas for organizing:

IMG_5777          IMG_5778

 

 

 

 

Let’s all stick together to make the most of this situation.

Kindness makes the world a better place.

If you are stuck at home and have always wanted your FREE over the phone discovery session, now’s the time to book it. www.gettingittogether.ca

By |2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00March 23rd, 2020|Self Care Organization|0 Comments
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How to Reduce Your Fast Fashion Imprint

Do you buy based on price or need?

Fast fashion refers to an unsustainable apparel-making method that produces inexpensive clothing rapidly in response to the latest style trends.

It’s destroying our environment!82635b5a-a5c6-437d-9bbe-d3120fe46d1a

Check out this short video on How To Reduce Your Fast Fashion Imprint then read on for Getting It Togethers Top 5 Tips

Tip1. Buy less clothing. How many pairs of black pants does a gal need? How many five-dollar T-shirts does a kid need? Buy what you need not what you want.

Tip 2. By higher quality clothes that will last longer. If you’re creative you could always make some things.

Tip 3. Invest in timeless, core wardrobe pieces that you can build around.

Tip 4. Take the time to research what you are buying, where it’s made and by whom. Companies like forever 21, Walmart, and Joe fresh support slave labour in places like Bangladesh where the worker is only making $68 a month. This is not even a living wage in their country. 4f7c1017-1f75-44e3-85bf-bcb09f571069

Do the math:
$5.00 t-shirt, = 50% goes to the retailer
25% goes to the brand
25% goes to the overhead, manufacturing and then labour

Tip 5. Wash your clothes less often and stay clear of clothes that need to be dry cleaned if it all possible. Washing clothes takes years off it’s life.

e8bd8749-8ba4-44d1-aa28-1b568700d5c5Together we can make a difference if we at least all try to do our best to stay away from as much fast fashion as we possibly can.

Share the love by sharing this link.

PS: Is your wardrobe a closet or museum? Needing help getting organized? Contact www.gettingittogether.ca for a FREE over the phone consultation.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00February 18th, 2020|Home Organization|4 Comments
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How To Meal Plan Like A Pro

Are you like most people, too tired at the end of the day to even think about preparing a healthy meal?

Have you lost your creativity in the kitchen?

Would you like some go-to dishes that every family member will gobble up?

Watch this short video on How To Meal Plan Like A Pro and then follow Getting It Togethers’ Top 5 Tips


Tip 1: Organize your kitchen. There’s nothing worse than trying to prepare meals in a disorganized cluttered kitchen. How can you get anyone to help you if they don’t know where the items are and you don’t know where they are? Set aside time to donate all the kitchen items you’re no longer using. Clear out all the expired food items in your pantry and fridge. Put all non-kitchen items in their proper place.

Tip 2: Clean all surfaces. Kitchen counters are not designed to be a dumping zone. Make sure all counters are scrubbed down and your kitchen is ready for food prep. Be sure to also clean as you go. There’s nothing worse than a big mess to clean up after a nice meal.

Tip 3: Select your top 10 favourite meals. Things that the whole family will enjoy. Is it stew, pasta, fajitas or chicken casserole? Most households rotate their top 10 meals throughout the course of the month. Look over the recipes and see what items you need to purchase and make your shopping list. IMG_4160

Tip 4: Prepare in bulk. When you bring home your fresh produce, wash it, cut it up and put it in containers. This saves precious time when it comes to meal prep. Select a two-hour slot in your week where you can cook in bulk and freeze. Maybe you could make a huge pot of pasta sauce and your neighbour could make a big stew and you can share. Cooperative cooking.

Tip 5: Clear the clutter from your mind. Once the clutter is cleared from your mind, it makes room for creativity. This doesn’t mean you have to cook like a French chef, it just means your mind is open to put together a healthy meal for your family. Consider deep breathing on the way home from work or a walk with a friend or spa like music.

PS: Would you rather not cook at all? One of my new services is to come into your home and prepare healthy meals for you and your family. Contact me for all the details. www.gettingittogether.ca

By |2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00January 14th, 2020|Home Organization, Organizer, Recipes, Time Management|0 Comments
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What To Do With Your Burnt Out Christmas Lights

Check out this short video on What To Do With Your Burnt Out Christmas Lights and then read on for fabulous tips from Product Care.

Burnt out Christmas lights? Recycle them!

At this time of year, British Columbians are unboxing their Christmas decorations, including lights. We all know thatIMG_4802 annoying feeling when you plug in the string lights and the bulbs are no longer working. Many people don’t know what to do with that pesky string once it’s reached the end of its useful life. Thankfully, they can be recycled.

Highlights

In addition to string lights, our program accepts all kinds of lighting products from fixtures (think chandeliers, desk lamps, etc.) to burnt out light bulbs including fluorescent tubes, halogen bulbs, CFL’s, LEDs, and more.

Check out Product Care’s full list of accepted products and find a location near you that accepts them online. Recycling your Christmas lights gives their parts a new life, rather than adding to our landfills. After lights are dropped off at a collection site, they’re transported to authorized recyclers for processing – right here in Canada. Machines are used to break down the products into component parts (e.g. precious metal, glass, plastic) and harvest the materials that went into the products in the first place.

Thank You to Kristina Charania
Marketing & Design Coordinator
productcare.org

P.S. Give yourself or someone you love with the gift of a clutter-free 2020 and contact us today for a free over the phone consultation.
www.gettingittogether.ca

By |2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00December 10th, 2019|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments
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