Organize Life

What do I do now: September

2009-09-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Home Maintenance Tasks

Paint interior rooms while it's still warm enough to leave windows open. Ditto for shampooing or replacing carpets.

Check heating system including filters, pilot lights, and burners, and have the system serviced by a qualified professional.

Clean and vacuum dust from vents, baseboard heaters and cold-air returns.

Remove window air-conditioning units and store them. If they are not removable, cover them with plastic to protect them over the winter.

Tour the outside of your house to make sure that soils around the foundation are properly graded. Soil should slope four to six inches for a distance of three feet out from the foundation walls.

Watch for year-end close-out sales on lawn and garden equipment.

Inspect storm windows for any signs of deterioration and make necessary repairs.

Remember:

2009-04-28T15:16:00.001-07:00

The less you own, the less you have to clean. This applies to quantity of objects as well as square footage in your home.
One in, one out. If you buy something new, you need to get rid of whatever it’s replacing.
If you get it out, put it back. An especially great rule to implement to keep your home and office orderly.
Guilt is not a reason to keep something. This one is self explanatory.

New Place for Old Electronics

2009-02-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

Don't know what to do with those old--and now outdated--tv sets? Can't bear to pay to recycle or throw away your ancient VCR?

Did you know that you can take your old electronics to any Best Buy in the US and they will recycle it?

That's right! Any electronic item--DVD players, computers, monitors, televisions--anything, can be dropped off at our friendly National Technological Retailer!

Best Buy does charge $10 for TVs, CRTs, monitors and laptops, which is offset with a $10 gift card.

You can even bring in inkjet cartridges, batteries, cell phones, CDs/DVDs, PDAs, and smartphones. Best Buy has a kiosk just inside the door.

Sometimes it pays to think green!

Extended Holiday Offer!

2009-01-04T17:19:00.001-08:00

Good through February 28, 2009, our holiday home cleaning offer has been extended.
Call Linda, at 763.464.5037 to schedule!

Quotes we like: #1

2009-01-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."
-Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Holiday Special

2008-12-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

"...It's The Holiday Season!..."

2008-12-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

Greet the Yuletide season with a plan!

Lists are empowering and they go a long way in making a hectic time more manageable. We at Organize Life have created a spreadsheet to help you this season. Feel free to print this simple holiday planner. Use it to keep track of the items you need to make those special dates less stressful. Filling the planner out ahead of time will empty your head of all of those planning thoughts that bombard you during the day. Make a list, create a plan and relax once you have gotten it all down on paper. Organize Life wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Holiday Planner Worksheet
Holiday Planner Worksheet Example

Be sure to check out our holiday specials going on now at Organize-life.net!

Dumb Workspace!

2008-11-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our friends over at www.dumblittleman.com have posted a few tips to make sure that your workspace will irk, beguile and irritate you! Here's to efficient workspaces!

http://www.dumblittleman.com/workspace

International Peace Day in the Park!

2008-09-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 21, 2008

A sunny day; a light breeze to keep the bugs away; two organized business owners at a booth!

The day was filled with the spirit and messages of peace and harmony. Lots of vendors and informational tables were set up. Peace circles and healing rings dotted the Lake Elmo Park Reserve landscape. Organlize Life set up a booth under a tree. We had a great time there. We look forward to next year's event!

You HAVE to be Organized for....#1

2008-09-13T08:54:00.001-07:00

A Wedding:

Wedding season has mostly come to an end. The busy wedding planner aren't as busy, the flower shops are delivering their last orders of fresh flowers and event centers are now booking up their calendars for holiday parties and corporate events. Not to say no one gets married in brisk weather. I myself am attending a good friend's wedding next weekend and was asked to be her 'bustler."

It got me to thinking today, as I go with her this afternoon to her final dress fitting at The
Wedding Shoppe.

She has done most of the prep work herself. Man, she must be organized! I'm sure if I ever get married when I get married, I'll look to her for some tips! I'm incredibly frugal, though not unwilling to spend good money on good quality.

Do any of you know good wedding planners? A wonderful wedding and event florist is right over in St Paul--her name is Marah Cole. If you'd like her info, just leave a comment or an email. Her stuff is spectacular.

Good luck to all in getting through the end of the wedding season. I have to go to and shop for one more gift for the happy couple! Cheers!

-Ashlee

Just a Tip #1

2008-08-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

In the fall, most heating and cooling companies offer discounts on installing household air conditioning units. Now is a great time to call and get a free estimate so you don't have to store those window a/c units all winter! Donate them to any thrift store or charity that accepts them and you'll be sitting pretty (and cool) come spring!

We like:
St Paul Plumbing and Heating

Back To School

2008-08-29T06:49:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year folks. We've got one last weekend to prepare for the homework and backpack onslaught. If you're not busy enough, going to the fair, buying back-to-school clothes, here's a few simple tips that can ease the transition into school time:

*1 - Go Green! www.thegreenoffice.com is a website that offers green school supplies, office supplies and even webinars (seminars on the web) about such things as "Greening your Office" and "Green Purchasing". Stop over there and receive free shipping on orders over $49.

*2 - Save Paper - Get a reusable lunchbag or lunchbox. We love the one over at www.treehugger.com made by BYO. A neoprene core, these lunchbags zip closed and can fit a wide variety of lunch containers and drinks. Best of all--it will only set you back about $20. Bonus: You're saving the planet. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/04/byo_lunchbag_la.php

*3 - To Each His Own - After work, you're busily cooking dinner, desperately trying to get it on the table (and eat as a family) before your yoga practice. You are carrying the sizzling stir-fry to the table when you call out "Johnny!" He's done it again, left his papers and homework strewn all over the dining room table! Don't let THIS happen to you! You don't have your cube in the break room, so why not make sure you're little scholars have their own desk. Sometimes space doesn't permit, or you need them within earshot to field math questions, but if you're willing, studies show, having your own workspace makes you more productive. Here's a workspace for back-to-school that may inspire you!

We hope these few tips will have you sitting at the head of the class this year!

As always feel free to email us with your organizing and simple living questions--We'd love to hear from you!

Two New Logos, One for Charity!

2008-08-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today we got a final copy of our new logo. What do you think?! We're all excited about it.

Here at Organize Life we love reusing and recycling stuff; especially in new and inventive ways. What are some of your favorite ReUseful Things? We've partnered up with the Mall of Saint Paul and will be taking some of our fun treasures there to be sold. A portion of the proceeds goes to charity. The charities will change monthly. We set up our space next weekend, we're very excited.

Be on the lookout when antiquing for ReUseful Things, a division of Organize Life. Oh, and be sure to grab one of our fresh-baked cookies from the front counter. Yes, we've got a cookie jar there too!!

Kitchens

2008-08-19T13:24:00.001-07:00

Our friend over at Amateur Gourmet is help getting us started. Adam's got some great tips on how to organize your kitchen (namely if it's wee and tiny!)

Amateur Gourmet - Organize Your Kitchen

Good luck, and hey...organize your life!

We're Here!!!

2008-08-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

We want to let you know that Professional Organizers Linda LaBarre and Ashlee Olds are partnering to form Organize Life, LLC.
Our goal is to make sure your space reflects and matches your lifestyle; that means more room in your life for the things you value. We have strong organizing knowledge and a proven process to make sure there is a place for everything of value to you, and a way to make sure the clutter doesn’t pile up. Best of all- we do the work!
Do you have unwanted items or closets bursting at the seams
Do you have boxes of who-knows-what in your garage or basement?!
Do you spend too much time looking for or even re-buying things you know are “somewhere?”
Organize Life can help, with proven results! We are glad to provide you references.
Our organizing services include:
-home, office, garage, kitchen—any space can be improved!
-a personalized organization plan for each client
-de-cluttering and space optimization
-room/space assessment, action plan and execution
-taking unwanted items off-site or recycle in an earth-friendly way

Give us your cluttered cabinets, dusty attics, and dungy basements—no project is too big and no mess is insurmountable with organize-life.net!
We want our results, through word of mouth, to be our best marketing vehicle. This may be a service for you and I’m sure you know someone who could use some help from Organize Life! We are offering a 20% first job discount or a referral bonus. Who do you know that we can help?