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Greetings!
This
month's newsletter suggests ways that you can better prepare for the
holidays. Please feel free to pass this along to your friends and
relatives.
Enjoy the holidays!
Pierrette |
WISE BUYS
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Gifts That Won't Become Clutter
How do you improve your odds that gifts you choose will not end up in a bulging closet of undesirables?
Here are some ideas to help select items that family and friends really need and will love.
A person seemingly well off still enjoys thoughtful items. And that surely is the goal for many buyers while the economy is strained. So what are good options? Popular items:
special foods, wine, exotic tea and honey flavors, fine chocolate. If
you know the recipient well, buy a gift certificate to a favorite but
infrequent restaurant destination.
For relatives/friends,
put together a photo book, photo calendar or personal recipes book. It
can be a treasure for those who do not find time for such a creation.
Similarly, you could give busy folks coupons for your help with child
care, dog sitting, garden planting....
Or buy a gift certificate for a massage/facial or pay for a membership to a favorite museum/zoo. Or give to a charity in their name (caution: not all appreciate this).
Clutter-prone gifts to avoid:
magazine subscriptions, knickknacks, low-use gadgets, writing paper,
toys, clothes, gift cards (more than 25 percent are misplaced and
forgotten). |
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ASK PIERRETTE:
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 Question:
Each holiday I have trouble finding all of my decorations. What should I do?
Pierrette:
First
gather all your decorations for a given holiday into one location.
Analyze what is broken or is no longer needed and get rid of it. Then
estimate how much container space you will need. Tag anything not
displayed in 2008 and if it is not used for the next holiday consider
giving it away. Label the boxes. Find one location to store all
decorations together, such as the attic, garage or under a bed.
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WRAP WOES?
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Gift Wrapping Easy
If Supplies Stored Together
Wrapping gifts is frustrating when the first step is a treasure hunt
for tape, scissors, ribbon and paper rolls left in multiple rooms.
Have
you ever bought more paper and bows and later found forgotten supplies?
Hence the reason stores sell a variety of gift wrap organizer
containers, which save time and money.
Right-size containers come in varying shapes, quality and durability, costing $15 to $300.
There
is a domed plastic can stored vertically, a portable case with multiple
storage options, under bed plastic boxes, a 7 ‡-inch-thick workstation
with collapsing legs, a high-end wall cabinet, and low-cost
closet-hanging units for either gift bags or wrapping paper/supplies.
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PRESTO! CARDS=CARPET
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 Recycling Holiday Greetings Easily
Folks in areas without comprehensive paper recycling end up tossing a pile of cards into the trash, but there is another way.
The
ReProduct greeting card company sells photo and non-photo cards that
one mails in a two-way envelope that later converts the card and paper
into a component of carpet tiles.
How it works: You mail
someone a ReProduct-created card. The envelope tells the recipient how
to forward the card to recycling after the holidays in the same
envelope, while showing its postage-paid side. Like with Netflix
movies. The company uses 100 percent of the card and envelope in its
carpet process. If the receivers want to keep a card, they can forward
only the envelope.
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Gift Certificates
Available
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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.
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A gift for others... peace of mind
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SHIP 'EM OUT
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 Mailing Options:
Easier Vs. Cheaper?
Ways to turn last-minute shopping into on-time shipping:
You
can get two-day shipping from the big-three package carriers, but there
are pros and cons at each. Mailing a four-pound box, for example, from
DC to California can cost $9.37 to $14.25 or more.
Some Shipping Examples:
FedEx: Free tracking, free $100 insurance, and their Kinko's locations sell shipping supplies. Con: May impose fuel surcharge.
UPS:
Like the USPS, UPS will pick up free at your home if you can pre-weigh
on home scales and pre-pay online. Also, free tracking and free $100
insurance. Con: May impose fuel surcharge.
USPS:
Provides free boxes for Priority and Express mail. The only one that
delivers to P.O. boxes, no extra charge for Saturday delivery, and goes
to more locations, including remote areas. Con: Very long lines as
holidays near.
Other shipping stores:
Their services can cost more, but they usually have no lines, sell
supplies, will pack box for you and one store usually deals with
various air/ground transporters.
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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.
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 well-planned holiday gatherings! |
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