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New Year Greetings!
My monthly newsletters aim to help you plan ways to improve the appearance and order in your home. Try some projects alone or ask for help from our friendly professional staff.
Wishing you a low stress, orderly year!
Pierrette Ashcroft |
RESOLUTIONS
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How to Keep Your New Year's Promise
to Downsize, Organize
 Be realistic - and cautious - in planning your goals. You are more likely to succeed if you start out trying to organize one room, one closet or even one drawer.
Create a plan in writing, describing each goal and your steps to get there. Choose a certain day/time per week to work on your steps and set a deadline.
For big projects, get help from a friend or professional organizer. Trained organizers save you lots of time and recommend improvements you may not have considered.
Make yourself accountable. Tell others your home-revision goals. Then, when someone asks: "How's your home organizing going?" you can smile and tell your success story.
Tracking progress is easier when keeping a detailed journal and/or taking periodic photos.
Keep working on new ways of organizing for at least 3 to 4 weeks, which is how long behavior experts say it takes to change old ways. Set a reward for yourself to spur you toward completion.
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ASK PIERRETTE:
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Question:
 We received dozens of new presents, some large. Now, where to put them?
Pierrette:
My newsletter last month advised givers to choose gifts that don't cause clutter. If you received a gift you don't need, won't use or it doesn't fit - and you can't exchange it - give it to someone you know who can use it or donate it to Goodwill. Your giver may have intended to make you happy with a gift, but clutter will not make you happy. For new gifts that you love and want to keep, make room for storing them by finding a similar item already in storage. Keep new scarf, donate old scarf. Keep new coffeemaker; donate old one and maybe the waffle iron you no longer use. Keep new DVD, donate old VHS movie, etc.
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CLOSET ENVY
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Prepare for
'Clean Out Your Closet Month'
 If you ever have to look for more than a few seconds for one skirt, one blouse, one pair of pants, it's a good month to clean out and re-order that closet.
A plan for success:
-- Consider the storage capacity. Should you hire a pro to design custom shelves, rods? Or just buy an organizing accessory that hangs inside over the door? Add a rod for short clothes (ie: blouses)?
-- Empty the closet. Clean thoroughly and maybe repaint it.
-- Sort contents into "Keep," "Donate" (no longer fits or haven't worn in a year or longer), "Clean/Repair" or sell at "Consignment Shop/eBay." Put the Donate and Clean/Repair items in your car immediately to haul away soon.
-- Return clothes in categories: long-space rods for items such as dresses, short-space rods for blouses, folded-over pants. As an experiment, turn all hangers backward. When wearing an item, put the hanger in the normal position. Check a year later to see quickly what is not being used and can be given away or sold.
-- Continue this hanging system so it becomes habit and your closet stays organized and stress free.
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DESK FRIENDLY
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 Orderly Desktops For All, Forever
The second Monday of this month is "Clean Off Your Desk Day." But you don't have to wait until then to enjoy a new system.
Tips to Make Your Desktop Look Great:
1. Buy an article cutter to immediately cut out interesting articles. Routinely read them in a plane/train/subway/taxi, in a doctor's waiting room and at home. Recycle skimmed newspapers/magazines/newsletters right away.
2. Color code key file folders.
3. Display in a receptacle just a few pens, pencils of identical brands and models. In top desk drawer, place only the most-used supplies.
4. Recycle paper and envelopes as soon as you finish with them. Keep recycling, trash containers and a shredder nearby.
5. Keep to bare minimum displays of personal items, such as a family photo.
6. Control all wires with ties.
7. Continue your system by tidying the desk after each use or at the end of each day's use.
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DISC DREAD
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Finding Favorite CDs, DVDs
Before You Need an Advil
 You have hundreds of CDs and DVDs, and it's often hard to find the one you want?
Might be time for a free-standing tower, wall-mounted cubes, new shelves or desktop stacking storage units.
After your collection grows to more than a couple dozen, your home might start looking like a college dorm room.
One easy solution is CD/DVD pocket binders. They can hold as few as 24 or up to a few hundred. I like the one with removable pages, which allows inserting or removing pages as needed. You can even store the inserts/liner notes in an opposite pocket.
Several versions are available at Staples.com and Amazon.com.
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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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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, CPO®, 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 organizing projects this year! |
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