Never Lose Those Keys Again

Tired of spending time looking for your keys, cell phone, purse, wallet, remote, sunglasses or even a child? Clients are always saying they wish they could put a tracking device on some of these items. Well, their wish has come true.

There are many devices on the market now that you can use to quickly and easily find these lost or even stolen items using an app on your phone or if you have lost your phone, you can sign on to the app using a computer or someone else's phone.

Here are a few:

• thetileapp.com
• the trackr.com
• linquet.com
• kickstarter.com
• Smead also offers the stick N find available at most office supply stores

If you don't want to invest in an app or even spend the time it takes to use the app trying to locate them, it is always best to have one place where you always put that item. Whether it's a pocket in your purse you always put the phone, a hook at the door where you always hang your keys, or a spot in your car where you always put your sunglasses, having a standard place where items are stored just makes life easier. 

The Best Things in Life are NOT Things

I saw this sign last night and really like the saying. It is a great reminder to spend your time with the special people in your life rather than on the thing you own.  

Spend some time making memories today!

Simplify Your Travel

Save money and your back by traveling light.

With the high cost of checking a bag these days, everyone is looking for ways to travel lighter. Lugging around a huge suitcase can also give you a painful start to your vacation. Here are some tips for keeping your packing simple:

• Pack "must haves" and not "just in case" items. Most of us pack more than we need on a trip so try to be realistic about what you really need.
• If it is bulky, wear it. To save space in your suitcase, wear your bulkiest items like jeans, athletic shoes and coats.
• Mix and match using neutral colors. Pick a few pair of your favorite bottoms in neutral colors and mix and match with a different top each day. 
• Go basic on your toiletries. Pare your list of toiletries down to what you absolutely need and rely on the hotel for some of the items you know they will provide.
• Don't pack items you can easily and inexpensively purchase. If you have transportation and stores close, some items can be purchased when you get there for less than the cost to check a bag.
• Pack items you can donate along the way. This is a favorite tip provided by two of my clients who travel they world. They take items they planned to donate anyway and after wearing them, they donate them, leaving room for lots of souvenirs in their suitcase. 

I hope your summer travel plans bring lots of memories and no backaches!

Getting Started is the Hardest Part of Organizing

When clients call me in desperation, I hear things like "I don't know where to begin" and "I am overwhelmed." Once clutter gets out of control, it can be a little more than we can handle and that is why I started my business. I wanted to be able to help people live life to the fullest and hated seeing them paralyzed by their clutter. .

One bit of advise I have for tackling an overwhelming task is to just get started and then it all begins to look clearer. Don't over-complicate the task, but just do what you can. I like to encourage clients to get started by grabbing a trash bag and collecting anything they can quickly identify as trash - junk mail, newspapers, old magazines, fast food containers, broken items, etc. Then, grab another bag or box if fragile items and collect things that you no longer need to donate. Put that bag directly in your car and drive to the nearest donation center. Just doing those two simple tasks can create space and make organizing the things you are keeping easier. It begins to look clearer when the excess clutter is removed.

Each time you hit a road block, take a deep breath, relax and work your way through the road block - don't give up. If you continue to get hung up, that is when you need the help of a professional organizer. We have been able to organize a space in 4 hours that a client has struggled with for years. When a project is more than we can do our on own, we need someone to come beside us and enable us to accomplish our goals. We would be honored to be that person.

Holding onto Treasures

What are you holding onto that is hard to let go of?

I recently visited my parents in Orlando while at a conference. I was staying in my childhood room and in the closet was a box labeled "Cathy's Horses" (my mom is more organized than I am). I asked her why she still had those and she said "because they are yours and they are worth something." As sweet as she was to store them for me, I hated that she was feeling responsible for my things. After all, I am encouraging her to simplify!

I didn't think they were worth much, but I decided to check it out. I went on eBay and there were tons of Breyer Horses out there, most of which were not selling and if they did sell it was for a couple of dollars. I decided to take a picture, ask my daughter if she wanted anymore (she has picked out some for herself in the past) and put them in a box to donate. I took them straight to the donation center along with some other things my mom and I had sorted out while I was there.

It was sad getting rid of that collection that I loved so much. However, I did not need them any longer and I just imagined a little girl who loves horses like I did as a child walking in the thrift store excited about the treasure she had found. They are much better in her hands than in my mom's closet.

What are you holding onto that you need to let go of. Think it's worth something? Check it out to see if it is. If it is, you may want to sell it and pocket the cash while it is still worth something. If not, you may be discouraged but at least now you know. If you no longer want it, pass it along to someone who will enjoy it.

Selling Your Clutter - How to get some cash for your clutter

I am constantly being asked by clients how they can get some cash from the things they no longer want. The bad news is, the market is not what it used to be. That rug that was appraised at thousands may only be worth hundreds because things are only worth what the market will bear. The good news is there is a new way to sell things to make sure you get the best price for the items you no longer need.

Estate sales or yard sales can be effective tools for selling but sometimes the work involved to set up and price everything is not worth what you make. Practical Solutions is exploring a new local online auction option where items bring the most the market will bear using a company called Max Sold. It works especially well for those who are moving and have about two weeks after they vacate for us to stage and host the sale.

We are using Max Sold to host a trial sale to see if it is a good option for our clients. One of our long-time employees is retiring and downsizing her own home so she agreed to be our guinea pig. Here's how it works. Practical Solutions helps clients sort through their belongings and stages what the client chooses to sell. Max Sold's staff then comes in to photograph and list the items for the online auction. The auction opens and bidding begins. After the auction closes, those who won the bid are notified and have a window of time where they pick up the items they purchased. 

It seems to be a great way to empty out a house and make some cash while doing it. Those selling their items have the opportunity to preview the auction items before the sale goes live to make sure they approve each item in the sale and can watch online to see how their sale is going.

If this seems like something you might be interested in, take a chance to see how it works. We will be sending out a link to the site when it goes live next Friday, May 8, 2015 so make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter to receive up to date information. 

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One Step Away From Being Organized

My college-aged daughter sent me a text that said "Thanks so much for teaching me One Step Away From Being Organized. I just wish my roommate understood it." One Step Away From Being Organized was something my children heard a lot growing up when they got close to putting something away, but didn't make it all of the way. Each time I said it, I would get an sigh and their shoulders would slouch as they went back to put it away the right way. I am quite sure they didn't like hearing it so it is nice to know my first child is learning to appreciate those lessons.

Getting organized is difficult. Staying organized is even more difficult. Even when items have a home, they must always be put back there or soon chaos reigns again. It's so easy to just get close to putting it away because you are busy, saying that later you will somehow miraculously have more time and be able to put it away properly. It doesn't take but a few seconds to take the time to put something in it's place. However, if you don't take these seconds to put it away properly, you will spend minutes and maybe hours looking for something because it is not in it's place. You may even find it is easier going to the store to buy another, creating more clutter problems.

Take that extra step to stay organized!