I created my first organizing product ‘Container Store Haul Video!’
Maybe you’re scratching your head and asking–what’s a ‘haul video?’
A ‘haul video’ is “a video posted on a social media site, in which someone shows and describes products they have purchased during a particular episode of shopping.” (Thank you, Oxford Dictionary)
Last week I got an email from The Container Store. They were having their 25% off Closet Essentials sale (woo-hoo!)–that’s when I usually stock up on whatever hangers I need for the laundry room and closets in my home. It’s not just my clients that need organizing supplies–I do, too!
So, off to The Container Store I went. Luckily, I live about ten minutes away from the Paramus, NJ location and instead of rushing in and rushing out of the store (Busy Mom Syndrome) and just grabbing what I needed, I allotted extra time to be able to walk around the aisles and check out some new products.
And literally, the first aisle I walked down, I found the first product I talk about in my video. It wasn’t on my shopping list but I had been looking for something like it for a while.
These products are going to make my life a lot easier. If you need one (or all!) of these products, here’s what I bought:
Thanks for watching my first Container Store Haul Video! Would any of the products I purchased be helpful to you? Share in the comments below.
This video can also be found on my new YouTube channel which is in it’s infancy. As I get more familiar with the platform, I’ll be creating more videos to help guide you on your journey to an organized life.
Who can’t use a helpful organizing tip now and then?
Today’s ‘Helpful Organizing Tip” has to do with how to organize your shoes. I’ve worked with clients who own over a hundred pair of shoes. It can easily happen if you live in the Northeast where the temperatures can vary from zero degrees to over a hundred degrees. With those climate extremes, men and women need everything from flip flops to snow boots and everything in between. Then there are people who do not live in a climate that requires many pair of footwear–they just love shoes!
The first time I worked with a client with a large amount of shoes I learned a valuable lesson I’d like to share with you…
The Helpful Organizing Tip for today is:
Don’t organize your shoes on the floor. Use your bed instead.
Why? I’ll explain it to you in one word: HEADACHE. Not the ‘pain-in-the-neck’ kind of headache that requires two Tylenol but the real ‘pounding-above-your-eyes-I-have-to-lie-down-now’ headache. Continuously bending over to the floor to sort, examine, and pick up tens of pairs of shoes can cause a physical headache.
We don’t want that! We want to get organized and be headache-free! Read on…
Instead, try this solution: Drape an old flat sheet over your bed and place the pairs of shoes for sorting on top of it. No bending and no headache. Too many shoes to fit on your bed at once? Break down the task. Start with your summer footwear and when you’ve finished sorting and purging them, take the ‘keepers’ off the bed and repeat with your fall/winter shoes.
Need a visual? Check out my YouTube video below…
Share this tip and video with a shoe-lovin’ friend!
As a Professional Organizer, I help people de-clutter their homes and get rid of things they no longer need, want or use. Sometimes the items are donated, sometimes they’re given to friends and relatives. But, most often, they’re bagged up and left at the curb.
Professional Organizers (and their clients) make LOTS of garbage. On ‘Garbage Day’ our clients put all the trash bags we’ve filled out to the curb (some tell me they wait for nightfall when the neighbors can’t see) and say goodbye to them forever. We are the hero. Our clients are relieved of a weighty burden. But, who is the real hero here with the most weighty burden?
Trash Collectors, The Garbage Man, Sanitation Personnel–the people who haul away trash. Professional Organizers partner with Home Stagers, Psychologists, Real Estate Agents and other professions to help clients reach their organizing goals. Trash Collectors are the ‘silent’ member of a Professional Organizer’s team. In a blog post written by Kindness Girl, Patience Salgado, Patience decided to take a poll to find out what the most thankless job in America was. Turns out the answer was–garbage collectors. Knowing what an important role they play in our society, she created a ‘kindness project’ for them. She says in her post,
“What could be a more lovely and simple message of respect than saying, “I see you, I value your contribution to my community and I thank you.”
Patience enlisted the help of her daughter’s kindergarten class to make thank you cards for the trash collectors. Word spread and more schools joined in on her kindness project.
How great is that? Just when you think one person can’t make a difference–think again.
So if you get a moment, stick a ‘Thank You’ sign on your garbage can once in a while–especially days you put out an inordinate amount of trash.
As for me, I’m going to look into making some ‘Thank You’ stickers to place on the trash bags I create in my own home and those of my clients. It’s never too late to show appreciation for your garbage man through random acts of kindness.
The holiday season is upon us once again! And if the holidays are here, that must mean it’s time for The Container Store to unveil it’s Stocking Stuffer Collection for 2017. Despite the fact I live ten minutes from a Container Store, I still wait by my mailbox for the Stocking Stuffer catalog to arrive. Yup, this is what gets a Professional Organizer excited…
The day my catalog arrived I grabbed a pen, flipped through the pages, and circled a few of the items I thought I might buy or want to feature in my annual Stocking Stuffer blog post. Unlike years past, I wasn’t overly excited about the majority of this season’s products. I felt as if many were more utilitarian than helpful organizing tool. Some of them prompted me to ask myself, “Would anyone really want THIS in their stocking?”
As the saying goes, “There’s something for everyone…”
I recognized a few products from last year’s collection. They must have been popular–a great idea to bring them back again! I chose five products from the 2017 Stocking Stuffer collection to feature here and split them up into two categories: Helpful and Amusing. Read below–you may find the perfect helpful or amusing gift for a special person in your life…
It’s a comb! But, it’s also a bottle opener, Phillips head screwdriver, chip clip, money clip, phone kickstand and contains four hex wrenches. A great gift for someone who loves cute and functional gadgets–or who really likes hedgehogs…and neatly combed hair… $11.99
Have you ever been chillin’ on the couch surfing your smart phone when the ‘Low Battery’ message pops up? You’d have to get up and plug in your phone, right? Not with the Couchlet USB Outlet Extender! The detachable 6 ft. USB cable fits between cushions or under a mattress so you can stay connected while relaxing. $14.99
At 8″ x .5″, this tool can scrape the bottom of most makeup bottles–even the taller ones. I should pick one up for my mom to try. She’s been using Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion for years and there’s always a bit of moisturizer clinging to the bottom that’s practically impossible to get out. I’d bet money that this spatula could dig up the last bits at the bottom of the bottle. And it would pay for itself in a matter of months. OK, Mom–one’s coming your way… $4.99
When I saw this product, I thought of two people in my life who might love it–my kids! I have two boys and they are crazy about playing basketball. OK, I think my husband might enjoy it, too. We have an outdoor hoop and if they all could play in the dark, they would. And now they can! Hoop Brightz outlines the backboard and rim in LED light which attach securely with zip ties and adhesive backed fasteners. A removable battery pack light it up for approximately 40 hours of light (battery operated). I’m going to be purchasing this Stocking Stuffer and I think it’s going to be a hit with my boys. The neighbors may not appreciate it, but my ‘guys’ are only kids once… $24.99
Mr. Al Dente? Your pasta is ready! Food safe and BPA-free, this pasta timer lets you know via four different songs when your pasta is cooked to four different lengths of time. He’s cool enough to sit on your counter (what a great conversation piece!) and tough enough to swim around in boiling water. If you cook an abundance of pasta in your household and appreciate fine Italian-themed music, this stocking stuffer is for you. $19.99
Want to check out the rest of The Container Store Stocking Stuffer Collection? Click here to see the almost one hundred products featured this year. You never know what might grab your eye–happy shopping!
This October marks the 8th anniversary of my blog. That’s A LOT of idea-generation, image creating, and typing!
I started my blog in October of 2009 shortly after I signed my son up for preschool. This was before I was on Facebook, before Pinterest was created, and before social media was a ‘thing.’ (Can you even imagine?!?) Since then, I’ve moved my blog from Blogger to Word Press, had a second child, and joined Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Oh, and I wrote a book and survived a major home renovation project, too. My blog has evolved over time–I have found that doing yearly goal-setting has helped me stay on track.
In past ‘blogiversary’ posts, I’ve set blogging goals for the year ahead. I didn’t do too badly in 2017…
My 2017 goals:
• Boosting Pinterest traffic to my website/blog
Success! In checking my blog ‘stats,’ the top place where people are coming from to check out my blog and website is Pinterest. My most popular pin on Pinterest is the blog post I wrote back in February, ” 3 Thought-Provoking Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized.” I still ‘heart’ Pinterest and see it as a integral part of my online presence for 2018.
• Create images in Canva
Success! I created a Canva image for each of my new blog posts and slowly, slowly, I am updating images from old blog posts using Canva. It’s a great way to freshen up an older yet still relevant blog post. My previous life as a graphic designer has really come in handy…
• Create a blogging calendar
I’ve tried this so many times but have not found success with creating a blogging calendar. Instead, I created a paper Blog Post Template which helps me to organize my thoughts on a topic I intend to blog about. The template is a place to brain dump my ideas, jot down keywords and alt-image text for Pinterest, and websites I’ll want to link to in my post. Half the work of writing a blog post is done once I’ve filled out my template. So, although I did not find success with a blog calendar, I created a thought-organizing tool that did work for me.
• Stop comparing myself to other bloggers
For the most part, I’ve been good at this. I’ve noticed that blogging has changed–it isn’t what it was when I started eight years ago. For many, blogging has evolved as a full-time business and that is something I cannot keep up with and do not wish for as part of my business model. I’ll be putting my time into some new and exciting ventures such as Virtual Organizing, marketing my wedding thank you note book, and outlining some ideas for my next book.
My 2018 goals:
• Keep using Canva to update images on already existing blog posts
Right now, half of my blog posts have Canva, Pinterest-worthy, and ready images. I’ll be chipping away at my blog title list to replace old images with new Canva-generated ones.
• Blog a minimum of 1x a month
At the beginning of 2017, I set a goal for myself–post to my blog a minimum of 2x a month. I did OK in the beginning but as my client list got longer and other Organized Artistry projects took precedence, blogging got left on the back burner. Creating the Blog Post Template helped me solidify future post ideas and I’ll be using it in 2018. So, my goal is to blog 1x a month but if I write two posts in a month or three posts in two months then YAY ME.
It can be a cupboard in your apartment, a shelving unit in your garage, or a separate room in your house. Whatever it looks like, a pantry acts as a functional space for storing canned goods, baking supplies and anything you just HAD to buy during that last double coupon offering at your supermarket. With winter months quickly approaching, it is a perfect time to start stocking up on non-perishable food items and creating an organized area for them. All the squirrels are doing it. Why not you?
Here are 5 easy ways to help your ‘inner squirrel’ start organizing your food pantry…
Use Helper Shelves Helper shelves (one of my favorite organizing products) double the horizontal space in your pantry, offering more space for canned goods, boxes, bottles, etc. They often come in 3-4 different widths and heights—some are width- and height-adjustable. Helper shelves can be found in the same aisle as other kitchen organizing products and purchased at general stores like Target or in specialty stores such as The Container Store. Use them on a shelf in a pantry closet or upper, lower, or corner cabinet in your kitchen. Helper Shelves = Saving Space
Group ‘Like-Foods’ Together
Group foods and/or products by type, brand, or ethnicity for easy retrieval. For example: Put all canned fruit in one area, brownie mixes on another part of the shelf, and all spaghetti sauce jars and boxes of pasta on a shelf separate from the other two. Now go to your pantry and gather ingredients for tonight’s lasagna dinner. How quickly did you locate the pasta and sauce? Probably, pretty darn fast since they’re now grouped together in one place…Grouping ‘Like-Foods’ Together = Saving Time
Keep it Neat and Orderly
Place cans/jars/bottles on shelves with labels facing front. Line up boxes with their ‘spines’ facing front (like library books) or facing forward depending upon your space limitations. This way you can scan the shelf quickly and find what you need in a matter of seconds. Disorganized shelves are a big time, money, (and food) waster. Orderly Shelves = Saving Time and Money
Take Inventory
Before you go to the supermarket, take inventory of your pantry shelves. Helpful Hint: Line up your cans/jars/bottles from the back of the pantry shelf to the front edge with labels facing forward. Depending upon their size as well as the size of the shelf, you may be able to line them up 3-4 deep. When you need a can/jar/bottle, take it from the front. When you see you have one left (hugging the back wall of the pantry), it’s time to put that item on your shopping list. Taking Inventory = Saving Money
Rotate Your Food
How many times have you found cans or boxes of food languishing behind an extra large cereal box? You don’t know how long it’s been there and you’re not planning on serving botulism for dinner, so that old can of peas you unearthed is money down the drain. Whether you line them up one in front of the other or stack them, it is important to rotate your boxes/cans/packages of food. If you usually buy cans of tuna in bulk and stack them 6-high on your shelf, don’t pile five new ones on top of one old can. Put that remaining can in the fridge and stack the new ones behind the old stack. You can take it a step further by dating your canned/boxed goods. It takes a bit of work but it’s worth it. Even non-perishables can perish…Rotated Food = Saving Money
Bonus If you’re going the extra mile to organize your pantry, why not create some labels for it? Labels can be used to mark off ‘food zones’ after you’ve grouped ‘like with like.’ Or, label those storage containers you use to hold bulk items. Canva.com, a free graphic design platform (that I love to use!) recently launched a tool to help you design beautiful labels. Check out their kitchen labels page for templates and ideas to help organize your pantry. For a variety of other types of labels, check out their Labels Hub here.
What favorite food items will you start organizing your food pantry with today?
I’m not old but I’m out of the loop when it comes to certain things like Netflix, iCloud and Instagram. I think all that came out when I was in the middle of parenting two children under the age of five. Sleep deprivation and very little extra room in my brain didn’t allow for much more than me learning how to use Facebook and Pinterest (and oh, yeah–taking care of my little ones, too…).
Another new ‘thing’ I wasn’t familiar with was podcasts. I had heard of them. I knew they were recorded audio, not on the radio–but where were they? Were they in that ‘cloud’ I had no knowledge about either?
Embarrassing, but I had to look up exactly what they were and where I could find some.
I don’t have a ton of time to listen to podcasts, but I decided to find some time in my schedule when I discovered a guy in Los Angeles who had a podcast on–you guessed it–organizing! The guy in Los Angeles, is James Lott, Jr. and his podcast is called The Super Organizer Show. He is a highly energetic person who truly loves what he does. One of his wonderful characteristics is that he believes in giving thanks out loud and living in gratitude–that’s how he starts all of his shows. Isn’t that great?
I found out about The Super Organizer Show on Facebook. James had interviewed Ellen Faye, the Past President of NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) and because I ‘like’ both Ellen and NAPO on Facebook, it came up in my news feed. I dug out my infrequently-used earbuds and carved out some time to listen to a few of the podcasts from The Super Organizer Show. I found them to be funny, fast-paced, and informative. On iTunes, I reviewed the list of past show topics and saw that there had never been a guest on the show talking about weddings. James is an author–I thought maybe he’d want to interview someone who wrote a book on a topic in organizing. I looked up James’ contact info and dropped him a line about me and The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook and the rest is history! He loved the idea of talking about wedding thank you notes and he booked me on his show for the day after he was attending his friend’s wedding.
How did I prepare for my first podcast?
• I read my book two times a few days before recording the podcast.
• I created an outline of my chapters.
• I flagged pages in my book that I thought James might reference.
• I brainstormed some stories and anecdotes related to my book I thought I might want talk about.
• I buried our home telephone under some sheets in our linen closet in case it rang during the recording of the podcast (I used my business line for the podcast).
• And yes, I used the restroom ten minutes before dialing in–I had no idea how long I’d be on the phone with James. Good thing I did–we were on the phone for an hour!
In a nutshell–I got organized to talk about organization! And (off mic) James even recognized and mentioned how prepared I was.
I had a ton o’ fun with James talking about my book, wedding thank you notes, sleep deprivation and it turns out we both have pen fetishes and love trying out different pens when we see a display in a store (ahhh, to be a writer…). He was engaging, came up with creative questions, and made me feel very at ease. A very positive first podcast experience!
Wanna listen to the podcast? Here are three places you can find it:
Thanks, James for having me on your show and for making my first podcast a very enjoyable one. Now that I know about podcasts, I guess now it’s time to carve out some time for Netflix!
If you watch HGTV or read Real Simple magazine, you’ve probably heard of’ ‘Professional Organizing.’ It is the art of helping people create and maintain systems and processes using basic principles of organization.
But have you heard of ‘Virtual Organizing?’
Virtual Organizing is the art of helping people create and maintain systems and processes using basic principles of organization–virtually. When I say ‘virtually,’ I mean helping people get their space and life organized via the phone, Zoom, FaceTime, email–as opposed to working with them in person.
Virtual organizing has evolved over the past few years. Although there are thousands of Professional Organizers in the United States, not every Organizer lives in a densely populated area that might provide them with an adequate amount of clients. Not everyone wanting to hire a Professional Organizer has one in driving distance of their home. Thus, a new way of organizing was born.
If people could use technology to communicate with friends, relatives, and business associates, why not use it for helping people get and stay organized?
Why I started offering Virtual Organizing services…
I have been doing Residential Organizing since I formed Organized Artistry in 2002. I love rolling up my sleeves and working side by side with a client to help them reach their organizing goals. I work with clients within a 30-minute radius of my home and wished to somehow widen that radius without having to travel far. With school-aged children, I also wanted the option of working close-to-home.
At the 2016 NAPO Conference, I attended a workshop given by a veteran Professional Organizer about how she added Virtual Organizing to her business model. She did this so she could work with people around the country who were in need of her specialized skills. She had developed a tele-class in Virtual Organizing and offered it to colleagues so they could learn to organize virtually, too. A few days later, I signed up for it. I successfully completed the course and now offer Virtual Organizing as part of my list of services. I still work with local clients in their homes but I’m excited to organize those in different regions and time zones, too.
I’m excited to announce that in the Spring of 2021, I studied with that same Professional Organizer to complete a new and cutting-edge certification program to become a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer (CVPO™)!
Have you been thinking about getting organized but didn’t realize that Virtual Organizing was an option for you?
Here are 5 Reasons Why You Should Try Virtual Organizing:
• You don’t have a Professional Organizer in your area
Although there are thousands of members of NAPO, you may not have a Professional Organizer in your immediate area. Maybe you need an organizer with a specialization or particular skill set. That organizer is just a phone call, email, or FaceTime session away from helping you reach your organizing goals.
• You want/need accountability or support for your organizing project
You started organizing a space in your home but the project stalled for a multitude of reasons. That’s OK–it happens. Working with a Professional Organizer ‘virtually’ can provide you with someone to check in with, help get you back on track, and to your measure progress. They’ll be a cheerleader, resource, teacher, and provide ideas, motivation, and support. Consistently moving your organizing project forward is key to it’s completion–Virtual Organizing can make that happen.
• You don’t want a stranger in your home
There are hundreds of reasons why you may not want a stranger in your home. Maybe you have small children, a sick family member living with you, or maybe you have white carpeting and want to keep it as white as possible by having as few people in your home as possible. Or, you may have something in your home that you don’t necessarily want people to see (besides the disorganization).
Virtual Organizing is a way of inviting a Professional Organizer into your home without actually having them walk inside.
• You would prefer to do the ‘physical organizing’ when it’s convenient for you
Does your work schedule change often? Are you a night owl or an early riser? You may want to do the physical work of organizing when you have a pocket of time or when you have the most energy. This might not necessarily be when a Professional Organizer could come to your home (I don’t know many Organizers who start at 5am or see clients at midnight…). So, schedule your ‘virtual’ appointment with your Professional Organizer and block out time on your calendar to do the required sorting/purging/labeling/filing when it works best for you.
• You prefer to be comfortable. Really comfortable.
Organizing ‘virtually’ means you can organize in your PAJAMAS! No need to get dressed if a Professional Organizer won’t be coming to your home for two or three hours. Other Professional Organizers might mind, but I don’t care if you FaceTime with me in your pajamas or bathrobe. I, on the other hand will be dressed (unless we mutually agree on a ‘pajama day…’).
With today’s technology, Virtual Organizing makes perfect sense. Can you picture yourself getting organized ‘virtually?’ If the answer is ‘Yes,’ click here to see how Organized Artistry and Virtual Organizing can bring organization to your home and life from miles away.
Transform your home from the comfort of your home with Virtual Organizing.
Who plays sports in your family? You? Your kids? All of you? Even if there’s just one person in your household involved in sports, it can be a challenge to keep the equipment organized. Sports involves equipment and equipment has the potential to become a disorganized mess!
Stumped as to how to store it all? Try some of the following systems for keeping your sports equipment organized:
Group by type
Example: baseball bats with the baseballs, mitts, and cleats
Group by need
Example: all equipment needed for lacrosse practice
Color coordinate
Each family member gets assigned a color. Place a dot of that color on their equipment and accessories. You’ll always know who didn’t put away their gear!
Make a trade
Switch out off-season sports equipment. In the summer, have tennis rackets, water wings, and fishing poles at arms reach. In the winter, be able to find your skates, skis, and sled at the first sign of snow.
You’re already spending big money on sports gear–you don’t want to spend much more trying to keep it all organized. Here are a few free and low-cost products to keep your equipment ‘grab-and-go ready’ and safe from damage:
FREE:
LARGE CARDBOARD BOX
Everyone gets packages delivered–keep your eye on your neighbor’s front stoop for the delivery of an item in a large cardboard box. I’m sure they won’t mind you taking the empty box–it’s one less thing for them to have to recycle! You can use that box to corral medium to large sized balls. Have the kids decorate it with sports pictures and stickers to make it look like it’s more than a cardboard box. Giving them ownership of it will help when it’s clean-up time.
GARBAGE CAN
Changing your home’s décor? Don’t throw away that old garbage can! Repurpose it for holding sports equipment. Use old garbage cans to store tall items such as hockey sticks, baseball bats, ski poles, and lacrosse sticks. You may want to wash it out first…
WINE BOTTLE BOX w/SEPARATORS
You need a box with compartments. Liquor stores are dying to get rid of them. It’s a win-win situation. Look for a box with cardboard separators still inside. These separators will divide the box and create spaces for items such as whiffle ball bats, baseballs, tennis balls and rackets.
* Tip: Whether it’s a box or a can, don’t store anything more than twice the height of the container you use, or it might tip over.
LOW-COST:
LARGE, EXTRA-LARGE and XXL ZIPLOC BAGS
I hope the person at Ziploc who came up with the L, XL, and Jumbo bag concept got a promotion and a raise. Genius!
With built-in handles and a double zipper seal, they’re perfect for storing and toting balls, skates, protective gear, and uniforms. They’re made of a heavy-duty plastic making them moisture, dust, and pest-proof. The fact that the bags are transparent is an added bonus—you’ll know exactly what’s inside, saving you time and brain space. Find them in the supermarket or in your local home improvement store. Cost: Approximately $5.49 and up per box
POP-UP MESH HAMPER
Pop up mesh hampers are the perfect receptacle for storing large balls, lightweight equipment or protective gear that needs ‘airing out.’ These round or ‘squarish’ shaped hampers are lightweight, easy to open, and come in breathable fabrics. Consider purchasing a different sized or colored hamper for each person in the family or one for each sport. Cost: $7.99 and up
WALLNITURE SPORTS BALL HOLDER
Do you find yourself tripping over balls in your home? Trip no more with The Wallniture Sports Ball Holder. This metal, easy-to-mount ball rack offers a home on your wall for a basketball, volleyball, or soccer ball. Great for storage and display. Hang in the garage, your kids’ bedroom, or the playroom. Cost: $10.49
*BIG SPLURGE*
You’ve saved a few bucks by using the ideas above–that’s great! If you are a multi-stick sport playing family and want to spend those extra bucks on something to organize them all, the 12-Compartment Utility Storage Unit is the organizing product for you. It’s perfect for holding bats, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and other tall sporting items. Maybe even a few fishing poles, too! Cost: $59.99
Now that your equipment is organized, searching for it all is no longer your pre-sports warm-up. Do some stretches, grab your gear, and go have fun!
I just flew home from the NAPO Conference in Pittsburgh and boy are my arms tired! But, seriously folks…
Over a week ago, I attended the NAPO Conference 2017 in Pittsburgh, PA. Over 500+ Professional Organizers descended upon ‘The Steel City’ to learn, network, and talk organizing. I had a fabulous time doing all three.
The conference was held at the Westin Pittsburgh which is attached to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center–the two buildings are attached by a short sky bridge. Even though I sat for the workshops, I got a lot of exercise going back and forth between the two buildings (happy Fitbit). And apparently, the Heinz Corporation is headquartered close by. Look at what the NAPO-Pittsburgh chapter gave out to us–itty bitty ketchup and pickle pins. They will definitely be a part of my wardrobe during BBQ season!
After attending the Opening Keynote, I went to the first workshop which this year centered around three TED Talks. I attended the session based on Amy Cuddy’s popular TED talk: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are and learned all about the idea of ‘Power Poses.’ Next, the EXPO–where organizing-related businesses/organizations showcase their products and services to the attendees of the conference. It’s the perfect place to find out about the newest innovations our industry partners have to offer.
This year, I had two EXPO favorites:
OXO. I Love this company. They are experts at combining good design with functionality. I’ve owned and currently use some of their kitchen products since receiving them at my bridal shower sixteen years ago. On display were two of my personal favorites: OXO POP Containers and their Expandable Drawer Organizer. But, two products that were new to me were their OXO Good Grips Over-the-Door Fold Away Valet and their Large Expandable Utensil Organizer. I love the idea of the retractable valet–great for putting together outfits or for hanging the dry cleaning before it goes back on good hangers in a closet (that’s a not-so-subtle reminder that you need to give those wire hangers back to your dry cleaner…). And, when OXO says ‘large’ they mean LARGE. The utensil organizer is one of the largest I’ve seen.
Rubbermaid. My favorite company for bins/totes. They are some of the sturdiest ones you can buy. On display this year were items from their ‘Auto Collection.’ I was oohing and aaaahing over some of the pieces. They had a small trash receptacle and a ‘wedge’ to place between seats for pens, paper and other slim items that might otherwise fall through the crack between the seats. Then I saw what I needed for my car–the Single Headrest hook. I’ll be looking into buying those for my kids so they have a place to hang their baseball hats, knapsacks, and neck pillows in the car.
NAPO Conference 2017 is more than the EXPO–there’s learnin’ to be done! Workshops I learned a lot from:
How to Prioritize When Everything is Important I wasn’t going to take this workshop because I thought I had some pretty decent prioritizing skills. And I do. But, I learned how I can prioritize my work and life EVEN BETTER. I had seen this speaker (NAPO member, Mridu Parikh) at a conference a few years ago and greatly enjoyed her workshop then and now. So glad I decided to make learning about priorities, a priority! Workshop Tip: If you need help focusing on your work, try using a Pomodoro app.
How to Succeed at Speaking for Fees After having my second child, I took a break from public speaking. It’s been seven years, and I just jumped back into giving presentations. I was thrilled to leave this session with many helpful take-aways that will enable me to grow the public speaking part of my business. Workshop Tip: Create a title for your presentation that is engaging, clear or intriguing, and shows a benefit to the audience.
How to Get and Keep Media Attention Most of my media exposure has been in print and online. But, on the off chance I break out of my comfort zone and try to get on TV or Radio, I’ll be prepared thanks to this workshop. Lots of talk about the media and how to pitch them stories–my pen worked overtime taking notes in this session! Workshop Tip: If you want to get on TV, start getting comfortable on video with You Tube.
If you thought all Professional Organizers like to do is sort and measure things, you’d be incorrect. NAPO Conference 2017 isn’t all work and no play–we like to party! Good food, good music, and a little Cha Cha Slide makes for happy organizers. I danced half the night away and got over 14,000 steps on my Fitbit (really happy Fitbit!). Here’s many of my NAPO-NNJ colleagues before we hit the dance floor–lookin’ great in NAPO blue and white!
I have to give a shout-out to the peeps of Pittsburgh because everyone I encountered–the staff at the Westin, the airport, the SuperShuttle, and restaurants, were SO NICE! Across the board–helpful, courteous, and pleasant. And boy, do they love their sports–Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers. Lots of people walking around dressed in yellow and black and it’s not because they love bumblebees…
A big thank you goes to my hubby for holding down the kid/homework/baseball/meals fort while I was in Pittsburgh. I could not succeed in my business without his support!
At our last lunch of the conference, 2018’s conference location was revealed. Next year, something new–a corporate retreat in Chicago. Did they say RETREAT? I’m all over THAT in a big way. I’m starting to relax just THINKING about it. Pardon me while I go register for the retreat…um, I mean conference. Then it’s off to do laundry and get back to organizing!
A blog by Professional Organizer Stacey Agin Murray bursting with cool products, 'gotta-tell-a-friend' ideas, and a whole lotta organizing know-how. Learn more...
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About Stacey
When you grow up in a 5’x12′ bedroom, you learn to organize pretty quickly! I chose to take that knowledge and turn it into a business helping people find what they need when they need it. I’m also the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook–a book that offers wedding thank you note-related organizing tips and how-to’s plus 101 unique sample thank you notes (what bride can’t use that?).
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