organized home office/desk
Quarterly Newsletter
Second
Edition
December
2007
Greetings!

 

 

 

While it seems hard to believe -- the holiday season is already upon us!  With that in mind, please enjoy this "Holiday" edition of our quarterly newsletter.  It's full of preparation tips so that you can enjoy the festivities with less of the stress.  In addition, there are guidelines to make vacation packing a breeze and things you'll want to do in January to help get you set for the new year. 

 

This is also an opportunity for us to say thank you so much for your support and business over the last year. We wish you a wonderful season and all the very best in the coming year.

 

Best Regards,

 

Linda     

   

gift wrapped packages

 

Quick Tips for Staying Organized & Alleviating Stress during the Holidays
          
  •  PUT IT IN WRITING - List everything that you want or need to do.  Getting these items down on paper and out of your head is an immediate stress reliever.  Next, block out time on your calendar to get these tasks done.  Be sure to be specific about what you'll be doing, when.

 

·        PRIORITIZE - If you have more tasks then the time to do them in, prioritize and delegate.  Consider dropping those activities that are least important.  Also, ask for help or assign jobs to others who can do them just as well as you can.

 

·        DONATE -  Ask your kid's to donate toys they no longer play with.  Help them realize that another child may really enjoy a toy that they no longer want and this will make room for the new toys they receive. 

 

·        MAKE LISTS -  Make a list of all of the people on your shopping list and what you plan on buying them. Try to buy the same gift when possible for multiple people.  For example, buy the same gift for all your children's teachers and activity instructors.

 

·        KEEP RECEIPTS -  After you make your purchases, keep the receipts for gifts for your family in one envelope so that if something needs to be returned you'll know just where to find the proof of purchase.

 

·        SHOP OFF-PEAK-  Save time and your sanity by shopping during off hours. The stores will be less crowded in the early morning and late evening.  Or, better yet, shop on-line and avoid the crowds altogether.

 

·        GET STARTED -  Don't put off what you can do now.  Instead of thinking "what is the latest I have to get this task done," think instead, "what's the soonest I can do this task."  The more you can cross off your list now, the better you will feel.

 

The holidays can be such a stressful time of year but don't lose sight of the fact that they should also be enjoyable.  If you aren't having fun, you may need to lower your expectations or give some plans up this year.  Remember; don't let perfect get in the way of good.

Happy Holidays!

Lisa's headshot 

News from the

Altogether Organized
Team

 

We are very excited that Lisa Gruchot has joined our organizing team. Lisa brings to Altogether Organized an enthusiasm for organizing that goes beyond the spaces and places she enhances with her many organizational skills.  Her upbeat personality and sense of humor are evident as she assesses clients' needs and develops strategies to help them achieve a more balanced and less stressful environment.

 

Lisa attended Southern Illinois University where she majored in Social Welfare.  She has worked in the financial services and investor relations industries, and has held leadership positions in a variety of local volunteer organizations.

 

Her skills are often put to the test at home where she keeps her husband, two children and dog happily organized.                                            


           

 

   luggage
 
Trouble Free Packing
 

Are you planning to get away for the holidays?  If so, this may be a good time to develop a packing list that you can use for this and for future trips.

 

Begin by listing all of the items you'll want to remember to pack for your trip.  Be sure to include clothing, toiletries, medications, travel documents/ information, etc. Save the list on your computer and include the name of your destination in the file name (Packing List - Florida.)  The next time you take a trip to that destination, you'll have your list all ready and you won't have to recreate it. 

 

When you take a trip to another destination, use this list as a starting point.  Add or delete items as necessary and then save this file using the new destination name (Packing List - Arizona)

 

You can also make a chart to help track your packing for the whole family.   Create a grid with each family member's name across the top and each item along the side.  Then check off each item as it is packed for each family member.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

   

 
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR
 

January is a great time to:

 

-         Think about the goals that you would most like to attain in the coming year and how you will achieve them.  Write your goals down and look at them every day.

 

-         Make note of what went well this holiday season and what you want to do differently next year.

 

-         Write-in special dates like birthdays and anniversaries to your '08 calendar.

 

-         Go through your files and purge the papers you no longer need.

 

-         Start gathering necessary information for your taxes.

 

 

 

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