Here’s a great video on how to make a watermark on an image.  This is especially important if pinning to Pinterest.  If one of your Pinterest image gets re-pinned a lot, your website URL can be seen by many, many people!  This video shows how to do this using Gimp.

Gimp Graphics Mojo – Self-Study Videos

1. Cozi 

Cozi’s tag line is, “Family Life. Simplified” and that’s what they are intending to do.  Cozi is a program that you can access through the web or on your iPhone.  Basically, Cozi is a free on-line organizer and mobile app that allows busy families to stay organized.  Some key features we use are:

• the calendar
• shopping lists
• to do lists

The to-do lists and the shopping lists are especially handy when running to the grocery store or to do errands.  Very, very handy!

2. Dropbox

What can I say about Dropbox?  Well, for starters, it’s free (for 2GB)!  What is Dropbox?  It’s a place to save all of your documents so that you can access them from anywhere.  You basically can store and share your files.  I have found this tool to be such a huge time saver.  No more saving to a memory stick or USB, no more having to worry if I’ve saved the correct document!  It’s absolutely amazing!  The huge plus for me is that it is mobile.  There are apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry.  Such a time saving, worry free program!  When I needed to send a team member a contract and I happened to be in Las Vegas, I didn’t have to give her access to my office.  I had access to all of my files via Dropbox and could send her the contract within 5 minutes.  Amazing!

3. Evernote

This program is great for cutting down on paper when you find something great when using your computer.  The program allows you to capture anything, access it from anywhere, and find things fast.  Some huge key features for us is that Evernote will sync between your computer(s) and hand held devices.  That means if I’m working on my desktop and later on in the afternoon when I have to work on my laptop, I don’t have to worry about what I’ve captured.  Everything I captured on my desktop will be synced to my laptop.  It’s brilliant!

As with everything, some of the items listed below may not work for you or your situation. I have just found that they have saved me with cutting down on paper as well as cutting down on time!

Looking to keep up with technology?  We follow a site called Digitwirl.  On Carly’s website it states the following:

1. A weekly how-to video that features technology to simplify your busy life.

2. The happy dance you do when tech actually works for you

Carly tests apps and programs and then creates little videos to demonstrate them.  Definitely worth checking out!

1. Clear out the entire area that you will organize (maybe a boot-room, your closet, a drawer, etc.)
2. Sort through what you have.  Spread everything out in a different room and make common ‘piles’.
3. Purge any items. Reminisce the “fun times”, enjoy the memories, have a good laugh, etc.
4. Assess what you have and be realistic about the space that it has to go back to. (Do you really need that shirt from 1970?)
5. 5.   Containerize – are there any items that could go into containers/bins in order to keep the neatness? (scarves , mitts, could fit into a nice little basket)
6. 6.   Equalize – set a ‘date’ when you are going to do this again (Easter? Thanksgiving? Next weekend? etc.)

Before you begin, it might be a good idea to lay down some ground-rules like:

• Make an agreement that you will respect what each person has to say.  After all, it is the month for love!
• Chose an area of your home that you both can agree on.

Once you have finished your space, celebrate all of your hard work!  Go for a great quiet dinner, have a glass of wine, eat some chocolate,

or ………I’ll leave that up to you!

Blog post originally posted in 2010.

When it comes to taming your own dragon and organizing, there are a few steps that I like to take with clients to ensure they will be successful in their organizing journey.

Step 1:

Although this has nothing to do with the physical act of organizing, knowing the theme of your life is actually a key driving force towards becoming organized.  Perhaps your main focus is your family, your career, or your friends?

Step 2:

When you know what your current situation (theme) is, then it’s time to consider how you want to feel.  Give yourself permission to say what you actually want, not what you should want.

Step 3:

Once you know how you want to feel, then it’s time to look at three areas:

• Physical Space
• Your schedule
• Your bad habits (and yes, we all have them)

Step 4:

Attacking each area with a plan is a sure way to be successful.  Knowing your level of attachment is a huge ‘a-ha’ moment for many and a key to this step.  For example, if you have a hard time delegating a task (working on your ‘schedule’ area), then you are the one who will have to do the task.   You have to ask yourself: can I let go of this task?  What is the worst thing that will happen if the task is not done my way?

Step 5:

Know your roadblocks!  Life gets busy, time slips away and before we know it, we are back in the same place we started.  By knowing your roadblocks you can plan ahead and know how to handle it when one appears.

Organizing is a journey.  It’s not one afternoon of getting rid of clutter, cleaning out a drawer, or purging clothes.  As Julie Morgenstern puts it,

            “Organizing isn’t about getting rid of things, its about identifying what is important to your and giving yourself access to it.”

One key area that I ask clients to address is their schedule.   Quite often, people procrastinate because they don’t enjoy the task or they don’t have time to do it.  By taking a hard look at your own schedule – what each day looks like (both personal and work life), it can be a great way to figure out why procrastination hits.  You may find:

- you have unfinished projects
- a list of ‘To-Do’s a mile long
- you are doing things you should not be doing
- you are committed to things that offer no value or are burdensome

Whatever the reason, it’s time to assess what is filling up your schedule.  Get rid of the time-suckers, delegate tasks (remember: if it has to be done your way – you’ll be doing it), or ask for help.  Once you have gone through that stage, it’s time to look at what is left.  Many clients end up with a list of tasks or activities that are either ranked according to urgency or according to need.  Here are a few examples:

Example #1 Time Sensitive: If there is a bill that is due February 1, then it needs to be paid by Feb. 1.  Why pay late fees when you don’t have to?  Schedule in time to to pay the bill and ‘Just Do It’.

Example #2 Routine Everyone has laundry.  If the clothes hamper is full, don’t go out and buy more clothes, get washing the clothes you have.  Schedule in time to get your clothes washed and ‘Just Do It’.

Example #3 Routine We are bombarded by mail everyday.  When you get your mail, address it right away.  Recycle the flyers and paper you don’t need.  Address the bills that come in and schedule in when the bill is due to be paid, set a reminder for the bill payment and ‘Just Do It’.

When you actually sit back and really take a long, hard look at things, remembering Nike’s motto speaks the truth.  Being an adult comes with having responsibility.  So remember, ‘Just Do It’.

Being an organized person, I tend to organize everything – including our holidays.  That includes organizing accommodations, flights, car rentals, as well as our activities while on vacation.  For many of you, you may be thinking, “Hold on – I’m on holidays.  I don’t want to think about anything!”  For my family, being organized means finding the best deals, knowing everything is planned, thought out and most importantly, knowing that I am saving our family money while on holidays!

Accommodations – For this past trip, we had our accommodations booked in February of 2011 to go in December of 2011.  That’s 10 months in advance!  I have found that the more notice you can give, the better deal you will receive (especially during the Christmas season).  Our family also does not stay in a hotel.  We book private homes or condos.  There are a few reasons why:

1. There is way more room in a private home/condo compared to a hotel.
2. We always book a home/condo knowing there is a full kitchen.  Having teenagers, they are always hungry.  We find having a kitchen is a great way to save money on eating out.
3. We can typically find a minimum 2 bedroom accommodations in our price range.  This past trip, we had a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath in our condo.  Everyone had their own personal space and more than enough washrooms.

We have booked our accommodations in Portland, Las Vegas (to stay at the MGM Signature) and Hawaii using Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO).  If you are not familiar with it, this website has owners list their home/condo for rent.  Every transaction we have done through VRBO has been slick!  All of the owners we have dealt with (for our own use or for my clients) has been nothing but stress free.  I have found that all owners are very accommodating and tend to go the extra mile.

Flights – knowing we had our accommodations booked, we were able watch the various airlines for ‘deals’.  I was able to watch the airlines and had scheduled time each day to check on the various flights.  When we saw a flight that was in our price range (and knew it probably wasn’t going to get any better), we booked right away.  By doing so, we saved almost double by doing so.  We booked our flights at the end of February (almost as soon as the airline released them).  When we checked back in October (just to see), the flights were almost double (per person) to what we had paid.  

Car Rental – Knowing our accommodations and flights were secured, we also started to look at car rentals.  We knew that we wanted a car rental to allow us to go get groceries, see the sights, etc.  Again, I stared to look at various on-line companies for rentals.  We ended up booking our car in June for our Dec. holiday.  Did you know that you can book a car without having to put any money down?  That’s exactly what we did.  When we found a ‘deal’ we booked the car.  We also watched for any better deals.  We actually found a better deal and booked that car instead.  One thing to remember is that you do have to cancel any car reservation.  I kept track of who we had reserved with so that I could cancel.  When we got to the Honolulu Car rental company they even said we got a VERY good deal.  Just for your reference, the exact same car that cost us $485 for two weeks was actually $1200 for two weeks.  Planning ahead does work!

Eating – When you rent a home/condo that has a kitchen, you will find you save yourself a ton of money!  It does mean that you are cooking on your holiday.  For myself and my family, we don’t mind.  Hey, who wouldn’t love to BBQ while listening to the waves of the ocean?  For our last trip to Hawaii, our grocery bill was roughly the same as it was at home.  Oahu has three Costco(s), Target, Wal-Mart, Safeway and other smaller grocery stores.  I bring along my menu planner to help with staying ‘focused’ at the grocery store and helping with menu planning.  I’d like to share one example of my family eating out.  We decided to go out for Christmas Day dinner.  For my family of 4, the bill was just over $200.00!  We did not have steak and lobster either.  The price it cost my family for one dinner out was almost as much as groceries were for one week.  It does add up!

Activities – This was our fourth time going to Oahu so we pretty much knew what we wanted to do.  The family that was traveling with us also had two kids who had never been to Hawaii before so we did some pre-planning before we got to Oahu.  By doing so, we were able to plan our budget and the various activities we wanted to do.  By doing a bit of research ahead of time, we were also able to choose between various vendors.

My own family has sometimes accused me of being a bit cheap.  My response is that I’m actually not cheap.  I love quality things.  I just hate it when I have to pay more for something when I know I can get the exact same thing for less.  By being organized, our family is able to go on a two week vacation.  If we were to stay in a hotel, we could only afford to go on a one week vacation.  I’d rather have two weeks of sun and sand then one week.

I won’t lie, everything mentioned above does take work.  It takes patience and quick decision making.  But boy, it’s so worth it!  Don’t you think so?

October 27, 2011

Well, as many of you know we have been working on a hoarding home for quite some time now.  Here’s a quick review:

• We were called in July to help with the downsizing and de-cluterring of a home.
• The home owners moved into a retirement home and no one was living in the home.
• The home was filled from top to bottom
• The daughter of the couple (I’ll call her Jane from hereon in) was in charge of deciding what was going to be saved, given away, etc.
• Jane had confessed to us that she is a third generation hoarder (her mom and grandmother are/were also hoarders)

When we started this project in July, the house looked similar to what you might see on the TV show Hoarders.  Luckily, there were no animals in the home and there was no rotting food.  There was just a lot of stuff!  As we did a walk-through of the home, we were taken downstairs to the walkout basement.  We stopped at the bottom of the stairs as there was no place to go further.  What we saw were boxes upon boxes (some full and some empty) as well as many loose items and a ton of furniture.

We started on the basement working through the many boxes.  The first day was great as there were a lot of empty boxes that were hauled out to the garage.  That freed up some space for us and allowed us to truly see what we were dealing with.  Jane wanted to take time to go through every box and decide what to do with what was in each box.  It became clear very soon that we were not going to meet our two-week deadline.  Going through the memorabilia that was found was very time consuming and emotional.  Not only was it time consuming, it was stressful for Jane to decide what to do with the items.  Should they be given away?  Should they be kept and if so, where would they go?  Could they be re-sold?  Just so many questions and not enough answers!  Jane was very hesitant to make decisions.

After two weeks of going through the basement, we had gotten through half of the items and the process of sorting into ‘keep’, ‘recycle’, ‘donation’, ‘charity’ was taking it’s toll on Jane.  Jane started to go through boxes that we had already decided on and it felt like we were taking steps back.  It was then we decided to have a time-out from this project.  Jane needed a break from decision making and needed some time to wrap her head around all that had to be done.  I needed a break as I was getting frustrated at seeing Jane go through boxes we had already decided on.

I kept in contact with Jane to see how it was going and if she was making some headway.  We were eventually called back when Jane’s husband stepped in.  After all, he too was going through all of this and seeing his wife spend countless hours away from their family.

We came back and quickly came up with a timeline.  The house needed to get on the market to list yet it needed to be emptied and Jane was emotionally drained.  Although I never, ever suggest renting storage units for hoarders, it is exactly what we suggested.  We needed to have the home emptied and Jane needed time to make solid decisions on items in the home.  Due to the large amount of items, we did the following:

• one storage unit for all the boxes that Jane wanted to go through with a fine tooth comb.  This included boxes upon boxes of old family letters, old family photos, memorabilia from her grandmother and great grandmother, etc.
• one storage unit for the antique dining room set as well as for all the fine china, crystal, etc.  Jane is deciding if she wants to switch out her dining room suite for the antique one.
• one storage unit for all the items that are being donated to Heritage Park and the Glenbow Museum.  Both Heritage Park and the Glenbow Museum were unable to get to the house within our timeline.

The plan for the storage units is to dwindle down to one storage unit (the one with the boxes) and eventually have no storage units.

There were many deliveries the week we cleaned out the house.  There were deliveries to the storage units, to the auction house as well as various charities and donation sites.  There were also deliveries to recycling and finally a small delivery to the landfill.  We then had various service providers come in to do the rest.  We had a team of cleaners come in and scrub the home from top to bottom, we had the carpets professional cleaned, and we had the windows professionally washed.  Walking through the clean, empty home gave me a feeling of relief.  Relief that this project was finally over and relief that Jane could take a much needed rest!

When I tallied up the invoice, I was shocked at the cost of this project.  Including our work from July, the total bill (including all service providers) came to just over seventeen thousand dollars!  Yes, that is not a type-o.  It cost just over seventeen thousand dollars from start to finish on this particular hoarding home.  All money aside, what really stays with me is the emotional cost this project had on Jane.  Having pressure on her to make the right decision on what to keep, making sure she didn’t get rid of anything, yet trying to figure out where to put it all was very taxing on her.  The countless sleepless night, the inability to make a decision, was very costly on Jane’s health.

In one of my email conversations with Jane, she was saying how she sees herself as a hoarder and wonders how to move forward.  I was telling her a story of a family in our community.  Here is an excerpt from my conversation:

…you can’t change the past, but you can direct your future.  You mentioned below that it makes you look at your life differently.  I bet this situation has made you think about things and about your own situation.  In the end, as sad as it may sound, it is just ‘stuff’ and ‘things’.  We recently had a family in our community lose their home to a house fire and they lost everything.  Everything that is, except their family.  When people were helping them out they kept on saying, ‘…but none of us were hurt so everything else can just be replaced.”  Hard to replace 100 year old items, but impossible to replace a loved one.  That made me really think about what is important.

When I look through my home I think what I would grab if we had a fire.  Would it be my laptop? My computer? My iPad? My favorite pair of boots?  Nope!  I would grab my husband and my kids.  The rest is just stuff!

I came across the following quote that I often think of – especially with Jane.  I believe it truly fits with this project:

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” — Herman Hesse

Sheri Bruneau

Get It Together Inc.

www.get-it-together.ca

I recently met with a colleague of mine who is a Productivity Professional.  Her name is Dawn and she owns a company called Work in Order.  When Dawn and I met we talked about our past lives and what we did before we became Professional Organizers.  If you didn’t already know, I had been an elementary school teacher for seventeen years when I decided I was going to leave the profession.  I had always thought that I’d be a teacher until I retired.  When I was in my mid thirties I started to think about life outside the classroom and all the possibilities.  Although I love little kids and loved being in the classroom, I always felt there was something else waiting for me.

During our meeting Dawn and I talked about our strengths – what we love to do.  As Dawn talked about her business and how she helps her clients, it was very evident that she loves what she does.  She is passionate about her work and in helping her clients become more productive.  When I was talking about my work and the variety of things my company does, the same excitement was felt by me.  Whether it’s through organizing or helping clients with time management or getting things done for my clients – I love it all.  I’m pretty sure there’s even a twinkle in my eyes when I talk about what I do!  I know that if I was talking about teaching, the same excitement would not have been shown by me.

Through our conversation, Dawn mentioned a program called Strengths Finder.  I had vaguely heard of it but was interested in knowing what it was all about.  When I started to read the book and looked into the program, I knew this was something special.  The short version of this program is simple: you take a little on-line test and it comes up with your five themes that would be your strengths.  This program then lets you take your top five themes and guides you to helping you discover your strengths – both in your personal life and in your work life.  I’d like to share three of my top five with you:

1. Achiever – “People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard.  They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.”  For those of you who know me personally, that couldn’t be more accurate!  I was not surprised this was one of my five.
2. Discipline – “People who are especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure.  Their world is best described by the order they create.”  Hello!  “Order” and “Structure” – I’m sure those are my middle names!
3. Relator – “People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others.  They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve goals.”  Bingo! I consider all of my clients friends (if not family)!

Although none of my top five were surprising, for me it was more confirmation that I am now using my strengths and loving it!  Too many times we find ourselves focusing on things we should be doing better when in fact, why not focus on what we are good at? According to Strength Finder, “…people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths ever day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.” (Strengths Finder 2.0, Tom Rath, ©2007)

This year, as you make New Year’s Resolutions and set goals for yourself, whether it be personal or professional goals, try working with your strengths.  For some of you, you’ll be able to work with your strengths on your own.  For others, you may feel you need to have a friend help you or hire a professional to guide you in working with your strengths.  Whatever path you choose, I encourage you to build on your strengths to find success.

I leave you with a final thought from Strengths Finder 2.0:  “If you want to improve your life and the lives of those around you, you must take action.  Align your job and goals with your natural talents.” (Strengths Finder 2.0, Tom Rath, ©2007).

Happy strength finding!

Sheri

Strength Finder 2.0 can be found here

As we get closer to Christmas, the roads are busier, the area around the mall is busier (including the mall), and people seem to be in a rush to get everywhere!   Yes, there definitely is, “In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas.”

December can be a stressful time for individuals and families.  There are Christmas concerts at school, shopping, baking, sending out cards, etc.  This year, pull out some of the stress that the season may bring by doing the following:

1. Write down ALL the things that you need to do before the holidays.  Some common ‘jobs’ are:
•    Holiday decorating
•    Cooking
•    Baking
•    Socializing
•    Cards
•    Gift giving
•    Crafts
•    Family traditions

2. For each task, break it down even further into everything that needs to happen.  For example: holiday baking
i    Gather up the recipes
ii    Create a grocery list for ingredients
iii    Shop for groceries
iv    Unpack groceries
v    Bake
vi    Clean up
vii    Store baked goodies

Although holiday baking sounds like it’s one job, there are actually many facets to the job!

3. Looking at your list, identify the aspects that you MOST enjoy. For the activities you do not enjoy, decide what can either be eliminated or what can be delegated to someone else.  For example, if you really don’t enjoy baking, do not sign up for a cookie exchange.

4. Once you have decided on the jobs you like to do and need to get done and the jobs that can be delegated, start a running list of all the tasks.  Set a date to either do the task or set a due date that you would like to have the task completed.  If you are delegating some of the tasks, place the name of the person who is going to complete the task.  Check off each task as you complete them.

Some final holiday-stress tips:

• Give your time a value!  Traveling half way across the city to get a bargain may not be worth your time and effort.

• Delegate!  Stop trying to do everything yourself.  Ask yourself, “Where is it important that I spend my time?  How do I want to spend my time?”

• Remember: if it can only be done ‘your way’, then YOU will be the only one who can do it!

Happy Holidays everyone!

As I got a tour of the home there was one consistent message that I kept on hearing: That probably should go…..but I think I’ll keep that.

We have been there for 2 days and have made some serious progress.  We’ve managed to take out one half-ton truck of items to Good Will and to recycling.  We also managed to take out 2 old refrigerators, an old freezer, and 3 old TV’s.

We still have a ways to go and we’re looking at about 100 hours of work for this home!  Yes, that’s not a type-o.  An estimated 100 hours of work!  As I work with the daughter, we’ve had some really good discussions about keeping items, where they’re going to go, and the ‘why’ behind keeping items.  With hoarding, there is always a good reason to keep items and there typically is a story behind each item. The fact is, everything you own has a story behind it.  The clothes I just bought my daughter last week were the first clothes I bought her to start her grade nine school year.  The football helmet that my son just bought is for his first Senior High football team.  The computer that I’m writing on is the very first computer that I bought  when I started my own company.  Will I keep any of these items?  Absolutely not.  My daughter’s clothes will get passed onto her cousin, my son’s football helmet will probably get sold to purchase a new, bigger one – when needed.  The computer will probably end up eventually going to recycling when it becomes a dinosaur.

The fact is, a person can not  keep everything.  When thinking of your home, you only have so much real estate inside to keep items.  My ‘rule of thumb’ is this:

If it is important for you to keep it, then you should enjoy it in your daily living.

By that, I mean:  if items are going to sit in a box in the attic or under the stairs, how are you enjoying it?

We are taking the rest of the week off of our hoarding house as I’ve left the daughter some homework.  Her homework is to go through the piles that we’ve sorted and decide what to keep and what to put into the give- away/donate/recycle/sell pile.  We have to do this house in stages as it is just so overwhelming.  We are also doing this home in stages as it’s both physically and emotionally draining.  We do know that in the end, the house will be empty and ready to sell.

Sheri Bruneau – Get It Together Inc.