Blog - Page 11 of 26 - Getting it Together

Organizing your make-up: Find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less

R applying Makeup-5 Most of you know I come from a cosmetic background. With well over 3 decades in the business I thought it was time to share a few of my trade secrets. Like most of us, putting on our make-up is a habit. One day rolls into the next and before long we realize we have not cleared out or organized our make-up for some time. This is not a good thing.

Here are a few of my top tips for organizing your make-up. You’ll be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less and be up to date.

Tip#1 Pump bottles. Whenever possible use cleansers, moisturizers and foundations that come in pump bottles. This saves time. No more opening the containers morning and night. Simply pump out what you need. It is also more sanitary as your fingers are not touching the open caps.

Tip#2 Brushes. One good set of brushes is all a gal needs. My favorite is the MaryKay brush set because it comes in a nice roll –up container. This is especially handy when traveling. Good brush sets will last many years. Wash them once a month in a little shampoo and conditioner. Allow to dry overnight. Toss out all old, used sponge tip applicators and broken brushes.

Tip#3 Colour cosmetics. This includes eye shadows, liners, lipsticks and blush. Dump out your cosmetic bag, drawer or basket. Know your limit. How many items do you really want and need? It is safe to say that 3-4 eye colours will cover your basic needs. Toss the ones you never use and ALL purchasing mistakes. Come on, we all have one or two of those in our bag. The shimmery gold eye colour that you thought you HAD to have. Toss ALL lipsticks you are no longer wearing. The ones with just a little left in the tube, the FREE ones that are not your colour and the outdated ones. Keep your favorite 3-4. Do the same with your liners and blush. The thing is we wear 20% of our make-up 80% of the time.

Tip#4 Storage. Pick one place to store your make-up. Do you like to keep it all in a cosmetic bag, a basket or a drawer? The more places you have to store cosmetics the more likely you will spread to those areas. This is not a good thing. I keep all my items in one small drawer in the bathroom. I also like to have a travel cosmetic bag ready to go at all times. I put all my “almost finished” eye colours, blush and liners in there.

Tip#5 Toss. How many bottles of half used creams, lotions and potions do you have? Do you go onto the new before using up the old? People have the best of intentions of using up those partially used bottles. They don’t. Do yourself an organizing favour and toss them out. OR promise me you will use them up before buying new.

Do you have lots of unopened make-up items, cosmetics or toiletries? Please donate them to your local women’s shelter. They would be happy to receive them.

Keep your “look” up to date with regular consultations. Many cosmetic counters offer this service. So do home based cosmetic companies. Find a consultant who knows your style and one that you trust.

I love organizing cosmetic drawers, bags or baskets. Be sure to contact for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your make-up needs; your storage concerns and solutions. I’ll even give you the latest make-up trends.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 26th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How to attend a charity event in style

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Do you find yourself in the position of attending formal events?

Is it once in a lifetime? Or is it part of your norm?

If you do not attend charity events very often it can be a challenge as to how to act, what to wear, etc.

These tips could work for attending a charity event, a fancy dinner party, or work related event.

Here are my Top 5 tips on How to attend a charity event in style.

Tip#1: Know the exact time and location of the event.

Since I was a guest to this event I did not see the tickets in advanced. I relied totally on my girlfriend. I was her “date”. I picked her up and followed her instructions of going to the Bayshore Hotel in downtown Vancouver. Once we arrived I gave the valet the valet ticket. After some time he came back to us and asked if we were at the right hotel. I thought we were because of my friends instructions. To make sure, I checked the tickets. This is what any organized person would do. Ah, we were not at the right hotel. Good thing the hotel we needed was right around the corner. With a good laugh we headed off to the correct hotel. (My friend mentioned that this mix-up would make a good story one day.)

Tip#2: Arrive early, stay late.

The thing about attending a charity event is that there is usually so much going on. By the time we arrived we did not have much time to scan the silent auction items. Some of the silent auction areas had already been closed. This was fine for us however, if you want to bid on certain items it is best to get there early. Staying right to the end is the polite thing to do. Hundreds of man-hours, effort and organizing went into planning the event. It is a nice gesture to stay to the end. Plus, it makes for great people watching.

Tip#3: What to wear.

At an event of this magnitude it is always better to be overdressed. Not to worry if you do not have such an outfit in your wardrobe. Here are some fun ways to get “the look”. Anything sparkly will do. If you have a long dress this is the time to wear it. Jazz up a basic black dress with fun jewelry. If you do not have these items can you borrow from a friend or see what your local consignment store has to offer. What about hair and make-up? This is the time when you can really go all out. What fun to have an up-do or false eyelashes, etc?

See if you can score a deal with your hairdresser to not charge you for doing your hair that day. Take the money you would have paid her and donate it to the fundraiser. Same goes with getting your make-up done. I’ll bet these people would gladly go for it. ASK. They may even give you a little extra cash to toss in to the donate pot. The thing is you might want to go and buy a whole new outfit. Would you wear it again? If not, then that means you are bringing more items into your home. Plus, the money you would spend on a whole new outfit could be money you could donate to the charity event you are attending.

Tip#4: No mobile devices.

Most of the people attending a charity event are very serious about the cause. There are speakers, live actions and loads of activity going on. Not to mention the fun band. The last thing anyone wants is to hear a mobile device going off. That also includes texting. Ya, I know we live in a world of instant communication but this is not the time or place for it. I’m an old fashion kind of gal when it comes to this. I left my phone in the car.

Tip#5: Know your limit.

When attending an event like this it is always good to go with a goal in mind. How much money would you like to donate to this cause? It is so easy to get caught up in all of the excitement. You might end up with items you never intended to get. So, be very clear as to how much you would like to spend and what you would like to spend it on. The best items are the consumable ones. That way you are not bringing more stuff in to your home. The hotel packages, food baskets and spa treatments are some of my all time favorites. These also make great gifts for family and friends. Consumable gifts are the best!!

The event I attended was so glamorous. It was a fun night. The dinner was yummy and the dessert was divine. With a Paris theme you can only imagine. I was thrilled to be there and very grateful. Watching the live action was amazing. The room was filled with excitement. Hearing the heartfelt presentations was warming. I know it was a huge success for all of those who participated.

Need help with knowing what to wear, what fork is the right one to use, or which glass is yours? Please contact me for a FREE 30 minute coaching call on how to get the most form the charity event you are attending.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 12th, 2015|Uncategorized|0 Comments

How to Organize a Computer

Can you believe that most people waste 76 hours per year-nearly two weeks’ worth of work, looking for things on their computer or in their office?

Do you have a love hate relationship with your computer?

Do you wish your computer was more organized?

Check out this short video on How to Organize a Computer.

Read on for my simple top 5 tips on how to organize a computer so you do not toss it out the window.

Tip#1: Back up your computer. Can you believe that 30% of people do not back up their files and every 3 seconds someone’s hard drive fails. YIKES! You can get an external drive, or rely on the “cloud”. (It is a virtual backup on a website that uses multiple servers.) Even on a sunny day here in Vancouver would you feel comfortable relying on a cloud? What if the cloud crashes? I still feel that the most important papers in your life need to be backed-up on your computer and you also need a hard copy.

Tip#2: Empty your recycling bin or trash. Have you kept EVERY single solitary email, file, document, etc. that you have ever received on your computer? You could be headed for a crash and burn situation. Just like you take out your paper recycling each week, you need to do the same with your computer. Clean it up. Take 15 minutes each week and delete what you no longer need. Exit out of all programs you are using; don’t just minimize them, then empty the trash.

Tip#3: Organize your desktop. Don’t save unneeded files. It slows your computer down. I’ve seen desktops that have so many files on them you can hardly see the screen. This is clutter to the mind just looking at it. Take a second to put these files in a hard-drive folder like “My Documents” or “My Photos”. Before you move any files, ask yourself “do I need this information any longer or can I toss it?”

For example you might have thought it was cool to have “Google Earth” on your desktop. How often do you look at it? Is it necessary to keep it?

Tip#4: Re-boot. “Booting up” a computer was so termed because programs load in sequence, the first pulls the rest up by their bootstraps. It’s fine to let a computer “sleep” rather than shut it done, but reboot weekly to really refresh it. I recommend turning your computer off at the end of each day. This will save on electricity which saves on our environment. Reduce your webpage history. Your browser stores visited sites automatically. Set the history to clear every week.

Tip#5: Keep it clean. How often do you wipe down your keyboard, your mouse, your screen? I cannot even imagine the germs that are on and around our computers. We touch them with dirty fingers, we sneeze around them and not to mention crumbs from our morning toast. You can get all kinds of fancy computer cleaning kits. I personally use a Q-tip and microfiber cloth for keyboard and screen and an alcohol wipe for the mouse.

You know there is so much more we can talk about when it comes to our computers, organizing emails, etc. I’ll save those tips for another post. In the meantime please feel free to contact me for your FREE 30 minute reclaim session. We can discuss your burning computer questions, how to organize them, and how to move forward. Contact www.reclaimsession.com to book your time now.

If I cannot answer your questions you might have to join me for lunch with my really smart girlfriend! Lucky for me I can call on my girlfriend to help me out with most computer issues. She is not a computer person by trade, however she is really smart. She is actually a professional photographer. A world class one I might add.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00December 29th, 2014|Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

How To Organize Kids Artwork – what to keep and how to store the rest

Kids artwork Do you have the next up and coming Picasso?

Do you wish you could keep every piece of artwork your kids bring home?

Do you keep all the art thinking that your kids will want it when they are grown up?

Human nature is such that we all think pretty much the same on this topic. We feel that every piece of artwork is the BEST piece. We feel that we want to keep all the kids artwork because it would hurt their feelings if they saw it in the recycle bin. We also think they will want it when they are grown up … is this so they can show their own kids? Do you have your artwork from your childhood? What are you doing with it? How many times have you moved it? Is it filled with dust and must?

I do not know about you, but I do not have one piece of artwork from my childhood. I am perfectly okay with that as I see other children’s artwork and know that mine would have looked almost identical. Plus, what would I do with 10 plus year old artwork? I really do not feel any less than by not having my artwork.

I do have a vivid memory of a piece of artwork that I did that won me $5.00. It was of a dragon. It was big and bright and colourful. The memory is all I need.

Take a quick moment to watch this video on How to Organize Kids Artwork:

Then give these simple 5 tips a try on how to organize your kid’s artwork.

Tip#1: Designate one wall or hallway for your kid’s artwork. Hang a long piece of string on that wall that looks like a clothes line but attached to the wall. Hang clothes pins from the string.

Tip#2: Each time your child brings home a piece of artwork hang it from the “clothesline”.

Tip#3: At the end of each week take a photo of your child standing beside his/her artwork. These pictures make really cool screensaver slideshows or a Pinterest board!

Tip#4: At the end of each week take all the art down off the string. Along with your child (or not) decide on ONE piece of art from that week that you will keep. The rest can be recycled, used as wrapping paper for the next Birthday party, made into greeting cards for family and friends, or turned into party invitations. You can even send the artwork off to grandparents or aunts and uncles.

Tip#5: At the end of each month you will have 4 pieces of your children’s finest Picasso. Along with them or by yourself select ONE of your favorite to store in a keepsake box. The other 3 get tossed, or repurposed as mentioned in tip #4. At the end of the year you will have 12 pieces of art. Now it is time to get ruthless again and select ONE piece that will be saved in your child’s memorabilia box or you may choose to frame this one piece or you may choose to put it in a bound book. You can also add the weekly photos that you took to this book or scrapbook. I have seen really cool bound books of kid’s artwork. If you are interested in this please contact me and I will give you the contact information.

I would love to see your children’s artwork. Please send me a picture or two. Also, I would love to hear your comments. Please fill in the box below with your great ideas on organizing your kid’s artwork or any questions you might have.

Have you set up a Pinterest account? If not please feel free to contact me. I’ll give you the highs and lows in a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss whether you need a Pinterest account. What you can pin and why you might like to have a Pinterest account.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 15th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Handy Travel Tips

Golfing By now you all know how much I love to travel. I love the different types of food, seeing the amazing countryside, architecture and meeting new people. Some trips are pure relaxation like going to Hawaii, golfing, some are more adventurous like skiing in the Alps, and some are road trips for a quick weekend getaway. I never find it challenging getting ready for a trip because of being organized and because of using these handy travel tips.

How would you like to be ready to go on a vacation at the drop of a hat?

Do you work like crazy prior to going on a vacation? How would you like that to be different?

Here are some general rules of thumb. Please let me know what handy travel tips you have and we can add them to the list.

Tip#1: First Aid Kit. Have a first aid kit packed at all times. Upon returning home from a vacation refill your first aid kit before putting it away. You want to be ready at the drop of a hat. Make sure your kit has any specific medications you take, pain meds, sunscreen (even if it is a ski trip you still need it), Band-Aids, cold/flu medication, and essential oils like tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus. Store your first aid kit in your suitcase when not traveling.

Tip#2: Toiletry Bag. This is another bag that you can have ready to go at all times. Again as soon as you get home refill any empty containers before storing your toiletry bag in your suitcase. I highly recommend using travel size shampoo, conditioner, cleaners and face creams. I have seen so many oversized containers of very expensive lotions in the security bins. One ounce is the maximum for carry on. Have a complete collection of make-up prepacked too. I take my half full containers and use these for travel. For example mascara is good for 3 months. After 2 and a half months I put my mascara in my travel make-up bag.

Tip#3: Pack Light. How many times have you arrived at your destination unpacked your case and only worn half of what you packed? Come on be honest! Travel with a colour theme. It might be black and white or it might be brown and orange. You know orange is my favorite colour. Make sure each item goes with at least 3 other items in your case.

Tip#4: Re-useable bags. Leave a few re-useable bags in your suitcase. These bags come in handy for shopping and dirty laundry. I like to leave a few ziplock bags in my case as well. They work wonders for wet swimsuits, any snacks you might take on the road, or dirty shoes.

Tip#5: Be prepared. Well in advance of any vacation make sure your passport is up to date. Check and see if you need any specific shots or visas. Have a house sitter lined up along with a backup plan. Did you know your house/condo insurance may not be valid if you do not have a house sitter or at least have someone checking on your house every other day? Do you have pets? Don’t wait till the last minute to deal with them. Get any foreign currency needed.

Look forward to meeting you on the train station platform!

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 1st, 2014|Travel Organization|0 Comments

Getting Ready To Retire

Today was my annual mammogram exam. (Here is my small rant: please go have an ANNUAL mammogram if you are over 40!) For all you guys out there do you know what you are missing? Think of having your baby finger slammed in a door.

The x-ray technician was chatting with me about retirement. I am a long way from that however I was intrigued by what she had to say. She is 63 and wanted to work another 5 years if her health allowed her to. She went on to say what would she possibly do if she were to retire early. She thought she would not feel “needed”. I expressed my opinion by saying I thought it was okay to keep working as long as she was also doing things she really enjoyed like golfing, traveling, etc. This whole conversation got me thinking about retirement and what does it all mean. How do we get ready to retire? How do we make the most of it? Read on to get the top Getting It Together tips.

Senior Couple with Daughter in the Park Are you one of these people who can hardly wait to retire?

Do you dream of the day where you get your coffee for FREE?

Do you know of people who retire and then pass away?

People are living longer. Some people count the days to retirement and others like the x-ray technician are dreading it. Is she concerned about the lack of social interaction? Does she think she will be bored?

Like all things in life it is essential to have a well organized plan for your future and for your retirement.

Here are Getting it Togethers TOP 5 tips on Getting Ready to Retire – enjoy the ride.

Tip#1: Make a list of all the benefits of retirement. What does it mean to you? How does it look? How will you fill your days? This could be the perfect time to take up golf lessons, hang out with grandkids or volunteer. Just because you are 65 plus does not mean your life has to stop. Once they retire most people wonder how they ever had time for work. I hope you are one of them.

Tip#2: Make a list of any pitfalls. There may be some downside to retiring if you are not prepared. My partner is older than I am. Most likely he will retire before I do. Does that mean I won’t have to cook dinner anymore or will he be off golfing? Have you got your finances in order? Are you concerned you won’t have enough to do? I could only wish. My bucket list is so long that I think I will run out of time before I get it all done. Hope you feel the same way. Leave me some of your most exciting bucket list items in the comment box. I’d love to hear them.

Tip#3: Keep your brain active. One of the best ways to reduce memory loss is to keep your brain as active as you can. Crosswords, Sudoku, Scrabble, etc. keep the brain active. Reading and working on the computer are also very important. It is important to keep up with the times so you can be current and engage in stimulating conversation with younger adults.

Tip#4: Stay physically active. The more movement you have over the years the more beneficial in your retirement. Exercise increases strength, mobility, brain function and an overall feeling of well being. Exercise reduces stress. It boosts your immune system and keeps you young. Be sure to select healthy food choices.

Tip#5: Stay socially active. The most comments I hear is: “all my friends are gone; who can I hang out with; my family is busy; they have their own lives.” All of this may be true so it is important to get involved in new social outlets. Community centre’s have many senior activities. They have great physical activities as well. Dancing, road trips and parties. The seniors at my gym can put some of the youth to shame. There is no stopping them.

Retirement is a new phase in your life. It means setting up new schedules and new routines. It also means keeping your home organized because you might find yourself downsizing. Downsizing is something that can take place over the course of time. Downsizing is one of my specialties.

How would you like a FREE 30 minute phone consultation on downsizing? We will discuss how to effortlessly downsize. The pitfalls to avoid and how to start downsizing. Get your free session here.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00November 17th, 2014|Organizing to Move|0 Comments

Downsizing Seniors

Downsizing Seniors Are you the adult child of an aging senior?

Are your parents still in the family home? Is it time to downsize them?

Are you a senior wanting to downsize?

Seniors are our largest growing demographic. You may be one of them or you may have parents that fit into that category.

My mom is 79. Fortunately she is still able to live in the family home however that does not mean that is the best idea. Some experts have the theory that it is better to downsize while you can still make all of the major decisions and your health is still really good. I would have to agree.

All too often I work with clients who are not capable of downsizing. Their grown children are so busy with their own lives that they are not able to help either.

Check out this short video on downsizing seniors. Plus Getting it Together’s game plan.

1. Have a family meeting to decide when a good time to start downsizing is. My Aunt did this and came up with the age in which she felt was appropriate to move into something smaller. She has given herself a couple of years in which to plan for and execute the move. In the meantime when her grown children are over they work on a certain area of the house. For example, they did cookbooks the other day. This was a funny one because my cousin asked my Aunt which cookbooks she was still using to which my Aunt replied “none, I do not cook anymore”. Lol

Ok so that was easy. All the cookbooks went to the second hand book store.

Next in line were the volumes of encyclopedias. The money people have spent on encyclopedias to realize that now a day’s Google does it all for us. Off to the used book store they went.

2. Decide who will help you or your aging parents with downsizing. Chances are your grown kids have a young family of their own. Their time may be very limited. Is it best to hire a professional organizer to help with the downsizing?

3. Where do you want your items to go? This is always a tricky question. I know of people that again have a family meeting. They get each person to put their name on the back of any items they would like once the downsizing starts and/or when the aging parents pass away. Are there collections that need to be sold? Are there family heirlooms that need to be preserved? Are there other household items that need to be donated or tossed? This is where I come in. I will sell, donate, or toss items for my clients. I think if people know their items are going to a good place they are more likely to part with them.

What items will be needed in the new smaller living space? This might be a tougher question to answer until you see the new smaller living space. Once you do, you will be able to decide what stays and what goes.

4. When should you start downsizing? TODAY! If you have allowed yourself enough time you can break this downsizing project down into bite size pieces. Try not to leave this project to the last minute. Change is hard on most people. Downsizing is one of the biggest changes a person might do in their life. Embrace it.

Would you like a FREE session over the phone? Contact me today to get yours. We can discuss your downsizing situation and come up with some solutions in order for you to move forward right away.

Have you had any experience with downsizing a parent or have you yourself recently downsized? If so please leave some helpful comments in the box below.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00November 3rd, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization|0 Comments

How To Organize A Wallet

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA What can you tell about a person’s shape, size and condition of their wallet? There are wallets that look like filing cabinets, ones that look like there is nothing in them and then there are some wallets that are held together by an elastic band.

What does your wallet look like?

What does your wallet say about you?

What would happen if your wallet fell on the floor in a coffee shop?

I love what the great money guru Susie Orman says “the thinner the wallet the richer the woman”. Susie feels that if your wallet is thin you have a handle on what is inside of it.

Check out this short video on “how to organize a wallet” and watch your money grow.

Here are Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips:

Tip#1 Toss. Go through your wallet and discard anything that doesn’t belong. ATM receipts, expired coupons or gift cards, frequent shopper cards for places you no longer shop, old shopping lists, etc. You want your wallet to hold important things like money. You do not want it to look like a filing cabinet. One big wind storm and every piece of paper goes flying. (Did you ever see that on Seinfeld?) If so please leave a comment in the comment box below. 🙂

Tip#2 Photocopy. Take your credit cards, drivers license, medical card, etc and copy the fronts of them, then turn them all over exactly in the same spot and copy the backs. Usually the back of the card displays the phone number to report lost or stolen cards. If your wallet gets stolen or lost you will know exactly what was in there and will have all of the correct phone numbers handy to call and report them as missing. Keep these copies in your online files and in your safety deposit box.

Tip#3 Organize. Sort your wallet contents by type: Susie would agree with having all your money facing the same direction. Have your bills starting from smallest to largest. Organize identification, credit cards, medical cards, shopping/membership/gift cards, etc. Use the sections of your wallet to keep these categories separated so you can find your cards quickly. Since writing cheques is not that common, only carry one cheque with you at any given time.

Tip#4 Condense. Do you have kids? Do you carry ALL of their medical cards with you? No need to. Take a blank business card. Write all the medical numbers on the card. Place it in your wallet. If you have 4 kids, that just saved on space and weight. Store the original medical cards in your files.

Tip#5 Clear out. Once a week take a minute or two to clear out all the unwanted papers and receipts from your wallet. Take the excess change and put it in your piggy bank, laundry money or parking meter money. I keep a small change purse in my car for parking. All that change can really weigh your wallet down.

Black Pouch, Purse - GIT Want to be wallet-less? Put the contents of your wallet in my favorite purse organizer. The Pouchee purse organizer. There is a place for your credit cards, money, lipstick, eye glasses and receipts. It makes changing purses fast and easy. Check it out HERE.

Do you have any other tips for keeping your wallet organized? If so, share below!

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00October 20th, 2014|Organizer|5 Comments

How To Organize Your Purse

Necessary things in red woman handbag How much does your purse weigh?

When was the last time you cleared out all the clutter from your purse?

Do you wish you had a nice organized purse and could change purses to match your outfits?

“They” say the average purse weighs 6-10 pounds. Some are probably even more. This is not good for your back or shoulders.

What the heck are we carrying around with us anyway?

Do you use everything in your purse? I bet not.

Read on to get the top 5 steps on how to organize your purse.

Step #1 Dump out your entire purse. Yep, that’s right. Tip it upside down on your bed or kitchen counter.

Step #2 Give your purse a good clean out. Wipe the inside down with a damp cloth or give it a good shake over the kitchen garbage. Watch all those little bitty pieces of paper fall out, as well as the crumbs from snacks and whatever else might be floating around in the very bottom of your purse.

Step #3 Sort. Take each item and ask yourself “do I really need to be carrying this around in my purse”, “what is the purpose of having this item in my purse”? Are there items you can leave in your car? For instance, your sunglasses. Look at all the contents. This will give you an idea of what size and shape purse will best suit your needs.

Step #4 Toss all the old pieces of paper. For example old shopping list, ATM receipts, and outdated school notices. Do you need to save receipts for tax purposes? If so, go file them in your system we set up a few months ago. Toss or donate any old purses you are no longer using. Better yet, have a purse swap with your girlfriends and have some FUN.

Step #5 Organize the essential contents back in your purse. Some people like to use zip lock bags, some use little cosmetic bags to separate different items. I like the Pouchee Purse organizer (shown in the image on the left). This purse organizer allows you to put the entire contents of your purse in this one little pouch. You will be able to change your purse to match each outfit. (They are perfect in diaper bags, gym bags or brief cases.)

However you decide to put your purse back together, be sure to give it a mini clear out every couple of weeks. You’ll be surprised at what ends up in your purse when you are not looking. One of my clients found a piece of toast in hers! She was wondering where it went. It was her daughter’s breakfast!

Looking for the most amazing purse organizer in town? The Pouchee Purse Organizer is my personal favorite. They come in a variety of colors and are available at: www.gettingittogether.ca/products

Check out this short video on “how to organize a purse” to see for yourself.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00October 6th, 2014|Organizer|0 Comments

Things To Do With Old Magazines

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Two of our grand daughters have started selling magazines as a school fundraiser. They both want to be TOP sellers. At the beginning of the school year we get a phone call asking us to buy, buy, buy.

We could easily get caught up in the excitement and the very reasonable price of all the magazines. The TOP sellers for the school get a prize. You know my background is in direct selling so I am all for being the TOP seller.

The key is “how many magazines can one person read per month?” I buy what magazines I want and then give them sales ideas. I think it is a win-win situation.

Check out this short video on things to do with your old magazines.

Does it bug you that your Doctor’s office has magazines from ten years ago? After reading these tips I’ll bet it won’t for long.

How many unread magazines do you have sitting on your coffee table?

Would you like to have more time to read all those magazines?

O magazine I just got off the phone with a client (let’s call her Mary) who has EVERY issue of Oprah magazine. I know other people who have the same collection. Are you one of them? This is what I suggested to her.

Tip#1: Donate. The thing is you are not going to go back and reread ALL those issues of Oprah. We are talking at least 100 issues. “Mary” thought she was going to. She even had the best of intentions to cut out the very best articles and file them. Let’s get real. Who has that kind of spare time? If you do have that kind of spare time chances are you are going to be doing something else with it. I challenged “Mary” to take an arms load to her doctor’s appointment that day. She can see a seniors centre from her apartment window. She agreed to take an arm load there this afternoon. “Mary” also has every issue of Chatelaine that her mother has given her. Her intention was to keep them for the recipes.

Guess what? Every time “Mary” needs a recipe she goes to the internet! She must have read my newsletter on “organizing your recipes”!

Tip#2: Re-Gift. If you buy one issue of a magazine and a girlfriend buys a different issue of a magazine you can swap or re-gift once you have both finished reading your magazine. This will also cut your cost in half.

Tip#3: Repurpose. “Mary” has a daughter. I’ll bet most of you have kids as well. Let your kids use the pictures in the magazines for their school projects. Do you do a goal/dream poster each year? Magazines have the best sayings and photos for that poster.

The phone call with “Mary” ended with her feeling very excited about moving forward with her magazines. You might think it is a small step, however it is a step in the right direction to clearing the unwanted clutter. Think before you bring in more magazines. Will you have time to read it? Is it a magazine you still enjoy reading? Can you get it online?

Put down the magazine and contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your “hotspots” and any magazine challenges you might be having.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00September 22nd, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

Previous 101112 Next