I met with a new client today for a consultation. We focused on setting up systems to manage and streamline her paperwork in her home office.
She had several items that did not have "homes" created for them. One of the challenges for most folks is determining not only "where" away will be for items, but what to name/label the items.
For instance, she had a copy of her son's immunization record that was recently needed for enrollment into school. She wasn't sure what to do with it. Through our discussion, she did conclude it would be nice to keep it on hand for future reference. The question then was where and how.
I asked her "what do you think of when you look at this?" Her response "medical." So, we created a file folder and she named it "medical."
I always say to go with your gut feeling. Traditionally the gut instinct you initially have is the same gut instinct you will probably have in the future.
So, go with your gut!
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author a new organizing book. Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Mead Five Star Flex NoteBinder™
Have you ever used this product or one similar? If so, feel free to share your thoughts.
I recently purchased this product to clean up the loose note paper I had covering my desk. As a result, I completed a product review on the Mead Five Star Flex NoteBinder™. To find out what I think about it, check my full product review at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-33192-Cedar-Rapids-Personal-Organizer-Examiner~y2010m2d13-Mead-Five-Star-Flex-NoteBinder.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes to Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
I recently purchased this product to clean up the loose note paper I had covering my desk. As a result, I completed a product review on the Mead Five Star Flex NoteBinder™. To find out what I think about it, check my full product review at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-33192-Cedar-Rapids-Personal-Organizer-Examiner~y2010m2d13-Mead-Five-Star-Flex-NoteBinder.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes to Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Is the Roadshow a Scam?
Since my recent post about the Treasure Hunter's Roadshow, I received an email from a news editor in Beaumont, Texas. Mr. Jordan shared with me he has been doing some investigative reporting on the Treasure Hunter's Roadshow. His key comment is that they are not affiliated with the widely known Antiques Roadshow.
For informational purposes, I am passing the following information along from Mr.Jordan:
"Using hidden video cameras on all but a couple of stops, I have visited seven of these shows in five states. State laws prevented the use of hidden cameras in some states. We were able to prove that this company is offering pennies on the dollar for people's items and none of the ones we interacted with were world renowned experts as some of the stories about them claim. The second part of my investigation into THR will be published in a couple of weeks. Just to give you an advance of what is to come, at the final location I visited, I was offered $5,500 for rare gold and silver coins and other jewelry that we had appraised to be worth more than $31,000."
You can read Mr. Jordan's article at http://www.theexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=61&ArticleID=3679
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes to Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
For informational purposes, I am passing the following information along from Mr.Jordan:
"Using hidden video cameras on all but a couple of stops, I have visited seven of these shows in five states. State laws prevented the use of hidden cameras in some states. We were able to prove that this company is offering pennies on the dollar for people's items and none of the ones we interacted with were world renowned experts as some of the stories about them claim. The second part of my investigation into THR will be published in a couple of weeks. Just to give you an advance of what is to come, at the final location I visited, I was offered $5,500 for rare gold and silver coins and other jewelry that we had appraised to be worth more than $31,000."
You can read Mr. Jordan's article at http://www.theexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=61&ArticleID=3679
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes to Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Mountain of Stuff - My teenager's bedroom
LOL, yes I had to laugh today!
Life has been a little crazy at our house the last few weeks. My high school sophomore has a huge school workload (two AP classes and an advanced math course) plus she has an off-season weight lifting program (she is a cross-country and track runner). My 10 year old son has started basketball and our family is going in all different directions.
So, needless to say we have found ourselves behind on household chores!
Today we actually found some time in our schedule to do some cleaning. Actually, I am paying my 15 year old daughter to clean the bathrooms and dust, but my husband has volunteered to vacuum our house free-of-charge. Delegation at its best!
But isn’t this picture a riot?
My daughter scooped up everything off her bedroom floor so my husband could vacuum! Clothes, baskets, bags, boxes, shoes, chairs and all.
When I do seminars on basic home organizing I always get a question about ‘how do I get my teenager to clean and organize his/her room?
Obviously, I can totally relate to that question!
My response is very simple. Getting your teenager to organize his/her bedroom is a challenge. Maybe the better question is ‘does my teenager KNOW how to organize his/her bedroom?
As easily identified from these photos, my teenage daughter’s room is usually a visual disaster. The floor is completely covered with little to no carpet showing. There is no clear cut rhyme or reason to conclude what clothes are dirty or clean and her drawers and hangers are usually void of clothing.
BUT, I know my daughter knows how to clean up and organize her room. As the daughter of a professional organizer, she has grown up in an environment where organizing skills have been taught and reinforced on a daily basis. Plus I HAVE seen her organize and clean up her room. When she wants to do it, she can do a spectacular job! But she doesn’t want to do it every day, no teenager does.
So, as a parent, the better question to ask is ‘have I taught my child the skill of organizing’ rather than ‘how can I get my child to keep his/her bedroom cleaned up and organized.
For more tips and ideas on the skills of organizing, you might want click here.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes to Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Life has been a little crazy at our house the last few weeks. My high school sophomore has a huge school workload (two AP classes and an advanced math course) plus she has an off-season weight lifting program (she is a cross-country and track runner). My 10 year old son has started basketball and our family is going in all different directions.
So, needless to say we have found ourselves behind on household chores!
Today we actually found some time in our schedule to do some cleaning. Actually, I am paying my 15 year old daughter to clean the bathrooms and dust, but my husband has volunteered to vacuum our house free-of-charge. Delegation at its best!
But isn’t this picture a riot?
My daughter scooped up everything off her bedroom floor so my husband could vacuum! Clothes, baskets, bags, boxes, shoes, chairs and all.
When I do seminars on basic home organizing I always get a question about ‘how do I get my teenager to clean and organize his/her room?
Obviously, I can totally relate to that question!
My response is very simple. Getting your teenager to organize his/her bedroom is a challenge. Maybe the better question is ‘does my teenager KNOW how to organize his/her bedroom?
As easily identified from these photos, my teenage daughter’s room is usually a visual disaster. The floor is completely covered with little to no carpet showing. There is no clear cut rhyme or reason to conclude what clothes are dirty or clean and her drawers and hangers are usually void of clothing.
BUT, I know my daughter knows how to clean up and organize her room. As the daughter of a professional organizer, she has grown up in an environment where organizing skills have been taught and reinforced on a daily basis. Plus I HAVE seen her organize and clean up her room. When she wants to do it, she can do a spectacular job! But she doesn’t want to do it every day, no teenager does.
So, as a parent, the better question to ask is ‘have I taught my child the skill of organizing’ rather than ‘how can I get my child to keep his/her bedroom cleaned up and organized.
For more tips and ideas on the skills of organizing, you might want click here.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes to Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Treasure Hunters Roadshow
I just saw an advertisement on television for the Treasure Hunters Roadshow. According to the advertisement, the roadshow is suppose to be here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for 8 days beginning today January 29, 2010. I have never been to one of these events and have heard some skeptic talk about whether or not roadshows like these are legitimate. The advertisement gave the website of www.treasurehuntersroadshow.com.
When I went to the website to check out more information, I was not able to find Cedar Rapids listed under events going on right now or in the future. With this dead end search, I then googled "Cedar Rapids Iowa Treasure Hunters Roadshow" and nothing. So, I added "1/29/10" to the search keywords and still nothing.
Hmmm..... I had considered checking out the event and sharing my opinion about the roadshow with my clients and customers, but the lack of information and the fact I couldn't even find it listed as an event on the roadshow's own website forced me to shy away from that plan.
Maybe the roadshow is going on. If so, I am finding its credibility questionable.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
When I went to the website to check out more information, I was not able to find Cedar Rapids listed under events going on right now or in the future. With this dead end search, I then googled "Cedar Rapids Iowa Treasure Hunters Roadshow" and nothing. So, I added "1/29/10" to the search keywords and still nothing.
Hmmm..... I had considered checking out the event and sharing my opinion about the roadshow with my clients and customers, but the lack of information and the fact I couldn't even find it listed as an event on the roadshow's own website forced me to shy away from that plan.
Maybe the roadshow is going on. If so, I am finding its credibility questionable.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Get Organized: Use a calendar!
If you have responsibilities and you have more than a couple things going on each day, you must have a calendar!
Having a calendar is not enough. You also need to use it! Input your appointments and reference your calendar each and every day. The two critical times for reviewing your calendar are right before you go to bed and once again first thing in the morning.
What type of calendar is best? That answer depends on you, how your brain works and what systems works best for you. For some a small pocket book calendar is the answer. For others, an electronic calendar such as Outlook or Google calendar works best. You can not overlook the extra large family calendar either. The type of calendar is not important as long as it works for you.
Make sure you access it regularly throughout the day so you do not miss an appointment. If you need an extra reminder, an electronic system might be the best choice for you as these systems can be programmed to send you reminders. For instance, if you use your calendar on your cell phone, you can also set the timer to go off to remind you of an appointment. Likewise, with Google Calendar, you can have a text message or email message sent as a reminder.
If your calendar systems is not working or you need a system, please set up a system that works. Overlooking a commitment is not good for you or the folks who depend on you.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Having a calendar is not enough. You also need to use it! Input your appointments and reference your calendar each and every day. The two critical times for reviewing your calendar are right before you go to bed and once again first thing in the morning.
What type of calendar is best? That answer depends on you, how your brain works and what systems works best for you. For some a small pocket book calendar is the answer. For others, an electronic calendar such as Outlook or Google calendar works best. You can not overlook the extra large family calendar either. The type of calendar is not important as long as it works for you.
Make sure you access it regularly throughout the day so you do not miss an appointment. If you need an extra reminder, an electronic system might be the best choice for you as these systems can be programmed to send you reminders. For instance, if you use your calendar on your cell phone, you can also set the timer to go off to remind you of an appointment. Likewise, with Google Calendar, you can have a text message or email message sent as a reminder.
If your calendar systems is not working or you need a system, please set up a system that works. Overlooking a commitment is not good for you or the folks who depend on you.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of 2 Minutes Organization: The simple way to get organized! Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Getting Organized: A New Christmas Tradition?
One of the many seminars I lead is called Balancing the Holiday Hustle and Bustle. The primary focus of the workshop is uncovering the true meaning of the holidays. The true meaning of the holidays in my life is not the crazy hustle and bustle, but rather enjoying time with my family.
So, this year when my son wanted to do something different with our Christmas tree, we did just that!!
Yes, take a look at the picture. Do you notice anything strange about it?
I know you might be thinking "Becky you uploaded the picture wrong way!"
Well, look again! The picture is the right way.
When my son and husband were getting the tree out and ready to assemble, my son came and asked me if we could put up our tree UPSIDE DOWN. My first instinct was 'no.' In fact, I first told him 'no.' But then remembering the true meaning of Christmas...who cares what our tree looks like as long as we enjoy it!
So, just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean we have to continue especially if there is an easier or more enjoyable way of doing it.
Prime example here! The kids had a really good time assembling the tree upside down and we all enjoyed putting on the ornaments. My 15 year old daughter was excited to put on the tree skirt. As with most teenagers, it is difficult to get them to participate in family stuff but this was an activity she not only participated in, but enjoyed. It was good to see her laugh and have a great time!
So to you and yours, do something different this season!
Enjoy the season!
-Becky Esker
Becky Esker is a Certified Professional Organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! LLC and the forthcoming author of "2 Minutes to Organization: The Simplest Way to Get Organized." For free organizing tips, go to www.TotallyFreeOrganizingTips.com.
So, this year when my son wanted to do something different with our Christmas tree, we did just that!!
Yes, take a look at the picture. Do you notice anything strange about it?
I know you might be thinking "Becky you uploaded the picture wrong way!"
Well, look again! The picture is the right way.
When my son and husband were getting the tree out and ready to assemble, my son came and asked me if we could put up our tree UPSIDE DOWN. My first instinct was 'no.' In fact, I first told him 'no.' But then remembering the true meaning of Christmas...who cares what our tree looks like as long as we enjoy it!
So, just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean we have to continue especially if there is an easier or more enjoyable way of doing it.
Prime example here! The kids had a really good time assembling the tree upside down and we all enjoyed putting on the ornaments. My 15 year old daughter was excited to put on the tree skirt. As with most teenagers, it is difficult to get them to participate in family stuff but this was an activity she not only participated in, but enjoyed. It was good to see her laugh and have a great time!
So to you and yours, do something different this season!
Enjoy the season!
-Becky Esker
Becky Esker is a Certified Professional Organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! LLC and the forthcoming author of "2 Minutes to Organization: The Simplest Way to Get Organized." For free organizing tips, go to www.TotallyFreeOrganizingTips.com.
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