Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter News and Tips to Organize Your Life Organizing Tips For September Car Organization Ask Pierrette Tips Column Vital Records Overcome Procrastination Links to Our Website Our Services Project Photos Recycling Options More About Us Archive of Past Newsletters Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter Share our Newsletter September 2009 Each month in this newsletter I share organizing tips to use in your home. Try some projects alone or ask for help from our friendly professional staff. We have great ideas for improving the use of all sizes of spaces. Cheers! Pierrette Ashcroft CAR ORGANIZING Making Room for Many Useful Items Does the "glove compartment" contain a dozen other things or is the trunk a mess of unused items?  If auto detailers make excuses to avoid working on your car, maybe it's time to consider ways to organize. Drink Holders: You want extra spaces? There are add-on units with extra holes. CDs: Too many for your glove compartment? There are handy wallet cases that attach to the sun visor and larger versions that store safely in the trunk or your house when you are not driving. Arrange music CDs alphabetically by artist and then by album name and you'll always find one quickly. Maps:  You seldom need them, so store them neatly in a pockets organizer hanging toward the back seat or inside your trunk. Reusable shopping bags: Use one to store the rest in your trunk. Cities and stores increasingly are promoting reusable bags. Trash: Small canvas, waterproof receptacles are great for tidy, temporary holders of empty bottles, cups and papers. Trunk items: Large cargo totes are great to prevent items from free range across your trunk. Mobile Office: If you drive to lots of business appointments you may enjoy a mini-desktop with storage slots for paperwork, supplies, which sits on the passenger seat. Other: There are gizmos for cup holders for change for tolls, cell phone, a pen, etc., and larger organizers facing back seats for: tissue packet, extra sunglasses, wipes, energy bars, telescoped umbrella, lip gloss, mints, first aid items. ASK PIERRETTE: How to Keep a Lid on One Kitchen Chore? Question: I have a problem in my kitchen. Every time I open the cupboard to get a plastic food container, something falls on the floor and often I cannot match a lid with a bottom. Any suggestions? Pierrette: I see this problem all the time. Too many plastic food containers in home cabinets.  First, be realistic. How many can you use? If you filled all, would you be able to eat the food before it went bad? Or even fit all into your refrigerator? I usually tell clients to work with what they have instead of buying new containers. But Rubbermaid came out with a new Easy Find feature that made me get rid of all my old food storage containers. For cabinet storage, the lids snap on the bottoms' bases so they are easy to find. Or you can snap all lids together. Also, one lid fits several capacity sizes - a wonderful improvement. Here are Before and After photos using Rubbermaid's new products. Send Pierrette your questions for answering in future newsletters. VITAL RECORDS Keep Them Secure In One Place Keep all vital records and valuables in one central location:  easy to find when needed, protected against theft, fire and other disasters. Consider buying a fireproof safe or fireproof file cabinet for the home.  The containers can be bolted to the floor or be too heavy for thieves. A big plus over bank safety deposit boxes: a one-time purchase price. Make sure someone else has the combination or knows where to find it. Safety deposits at banks - secure but inconvenient and require annual rental fees. Also, access may be difficult upon your death or incapacitation if you don't plan ahead. Some records/items well worth securing: Art & antique receipts; valuable coins or stamps, jewelry Certificates: birth, adoption, death, marriage, education, religious ceremonies Identification: Passport, Social Security card Insurance policies Will Divorce decree; pre-nuptial agreement Trust documents Citizenship & military records Some Contracts Home inventory list Small sentimental items: children's artwork, writing Here is a Personal Records Retention Schedule READ THIS LATER? Overcome Procrastination's Power We are all guilty of putting off tasks. For reflection on a better approach, the first Wednesday of September was deemed  National Fight Procrastination Day. There are several reasons for putting off a job: you don't like doing the job, you are a perfectionist, you are over-scheduled, the job seems overwhelming and you don't know where to begin. How to overcome procrastination? Break the project into small steps. Make a list of the steps and cross them off as you finish them. Achieving several small goals is easier than one very large one. -- Set a realistic schedule to lessen stress as the deadline approaches. -- For jobs you don't like, consider delegating the task   to someone else, or hire someone. If you must do the job   yourself, consider playing your favorite music or promise yourself a reward when the job is done. -- Think about the time of day you work best and tackle unpopular jobs then when you have more energy. This way you'll likely complete the task faster. Gift Certificates Available Are you trying to shop for that hard-to-find recipient? Or do you need a gift for a new mom, a housewarming gift or have anyone on your list who could use an extra set of hands? What would be more appreciated than a gift certificate for help from a professional organizer? You decide the dollar amount and the recipient can decide the services that they want. A gift for others... peace of mind Pierrette Ashcroft, founder of getOrganizedDC, has more than 20 years of business experience organizing events and providing innovative solutions in homes and offices. In 2007 she was in the first group to receive credentials as a Certified Professional Organizer, CPOÆ, earning her a top distinction in the organizing industry. She continues her education and training and in 2009 became a Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist (CRTS™). As a senior move manager she takes the worry and work out of the moving process by helping seniors and their families with their needs for a seamless and successful transition. In 2009 she also completed training to become a certified home stager. She can help you prepare your home for sale and use her design skills to create a beautifully organized new home.   To learn more, call or write for a free telephone consultation at: 202-537-9705 or pierrette@getorganizeddc.com. Or visit our Web site.   The hardest part of organizing is developing an attractive plan. We are happy to help you with challenges large or small. Expect efficient and reliable service from our staff, who promise to keep your personal information confidential. Read what our clients are saying about us.   Enjoy your organizing projects!