We’ve Moved! Organize and Decorate at Our New Web Site April 24, 2012

You know that “tired, but in a good way” feeling you get when you finish painting a room or moving all of your furniture around?  Well, that’s how I feel right now.  We’ve recently just moved two whole sites!

This is the last post at this address.  Those of you who are getting these articles sent to you about twice a week will need to head over to the new site and re-subscribe, but just this once, I promise.  When you head to www.HeartWorkOrg.com, look on the right-hand side and enter your email where it says “subscribe to blog”. 

I am not fond of the word blog, but it is a shorted version of “web log”, or the modern day version of a mini-magazine.

Anywhoo, I’ve got so much more capability on the new site, you’re going to love it.  The before and after gallery has been updated.  I can finally add pictures of your furry critters to the Furry Gallery.  The store has been updated, with more to come.

The very first thing that I’m doing is FOR YOU.  There’s a brand new post over there about green decorating with a lamp makeover, and there is a giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to get you started on your own green decorating project.    This giveaway closes May 2, 2012, but there are plenty more to follow, so I hope you’ll head over now and subscribe.  Really, go now.

Click here and enter your email to subscribe and keep getting organizing, decorating, and home staging tips.  See ya there!

 

 

How to Get Rid of Ants April 12, 2012

It’s hard to feel good about organizing or decorating when ants go marching two by two through your space.  For those of you who think I lead a charmed life, sorry to pop your balloon.  We have ants.

True, these ants have tenure.  I’ve only lived in this house 4 years, and the ants have probably been here for most of the hundred years the house has stood here.  But I don’t have to like it, and I don’t have to share my snacks with them.

Since I have kids and I like to be all goody-goody about reducing chemicals in my home, I don’t just head for the pesticide aisle.  A couple of years ago, I contacted Mike McGrath, who hosts the show You Bet Your Garden on WHYY, which is a wealth of resources on plants, organic gardening, and natural lawn care techniques.  He pointed me to this little product, that has revolutionized my war on bugs.

It’s a bit different because you don’t spray your stuff or your crawlers.  No, this is more subtle.  You just put a couple drops of Pic Liquid Ant Bait Killer down in a little cardboard or plastic doormat (included), and let the ants walk on it.  And they will, because this stuff is like Easter candy to them.  Did you know that ants are very systematic?  They follow in each other’s footsteps to their food source, and then the ants go marching home again, all in a line.  But at my house, their little legs will be coated with blue juice, which they carry home to their colony.  Within days, all of the ants in the colony have had a taste of the Kool-Aid.  No more ants.

Still, they are ants, and I have to go through this every spring.  I’ve been doing this for 4 years, and you see how much of this tiny bottle I’ve used?  Since I’m using so little, I worry a lot less about unintended targets getting a taste of my blue wrath.

After that’s all taken care of, I can get back to the fun stuff, decorating and organizing for spring.  Here’s hoping for peace around your baseboards.

Candyless Month: SMART Goals Help Organize Smarter Snacks February 16, 2012

Remember when I told you I was going to try to get a handle on my candy addiction in January?  Boy, am I glad that’s over!

You might be wondering, how is this an organizing or decorating story?  Trust me, it is both.

The thing about organizing is that if you have a plan, a system, and the right tools on hand, you can be successful.  Without any of those things, well, you get more of what you’ve always gotten before.

My plan was to cut out my candy binges.  Not calories.  Not candy entirely.  Just the 3 o’clock and 8 o’clock binges.  That’s where I sit down and eat half a bag of M&M’s or an entire box of Girl Scout cookies.  My system was to have some substitute sweets on hand, including frozen fruit, oranges, Greek yogurt, and roasted vegetables. And the tools, well, that’s where you came in.  Every time I went into the pantry, I thought about this post I was eventually going to have to write, and so I thank you for being there for me.

My goals were SMART:  specific, measurable, applicable, realistic, and time-bound.  There was absolutely no reason I couldn’t be binge-free for thirty days.

Things pretty much went as planned.  Not having my daily sugar dose, some mornings I definitely woke up less sluggish.  Sugars that come from processed foods and candy really do gum up my works, which is way more noticeable than in my twenties.

Oh, and I remembered that I needed to drink more water.  Not just pour it and let it sit nearby, but actually drink it.  Osmosis isn’t a good way to get your hydration.

Then, near the end of the month, I took on a two day staging job, and my system failed.  (That’s the decorating part of the story.) I fell back on chowing through an entire bag of Skittles to get me through the job instead of taking sensible breaks for water and real food.  Skittles are so seductive, I even got my assistant hooked on them.  Sorry, Jill.  Although the Skittles.com site is one of the biggest wastes of time ever, I have to agree with the tweet/quote, “Where there are Skittles, there’s a way.”

OK, one slip is not bad.  But then I had a weak moment in the evening, which began with me reaching for a box of chocolate drizzled popcorn that I bought as a hostess gift in case I was invited to a holiday party.

 

Note to self:  buying candy just in case is probably a bad idea.

I struggled with this one, so close to the end of the month.  So I flipped the box and checked the stats.  10 servings in the box.  130 calories per serving.  Are you kidding me?  Stalling, I pulled out 9 plastic baggies, intending to eat just one serving.  It works for those Nabisco hundred calorie packs; it might work for me.  Here’s what one serving looked like.

Pathetic. Hardly worth the calories.

That particular night, my better nature won out.  I opted for a tub of Greek yogurt instead and saved about a gazillion calories.  ‘Cuz you know I was not just going to eat one serving of that popcorn.  You know I was going to eat the ENTIRE BOX, right?

 

Organizing my pantry and my thoughts help me stay on track.  I have no idea if I lost weight or not, but I can definitely say that one of my favorite shirts feels more loose.  Yeah!

So, it all ends well.  Borrowing a title from my blogger friend, Stephanie over at Intentional Girl, I’ve become a bit more intentional about my snacks.  Which is good, because candy season never really seems to end, does it?

What NOT to Get Me For Christmas December 9, 2011

In the season of gift lists, I wanted to put together a list of things not to get me.  Just for fun. But alas, I haven’t spent that much time looking at the catalogs this year.  But this one special thing caught my eye.

Just in case you are tempted to buy me a leather covered porcupine, armadillo or piglet carafe, please don’t.  I’m sure there is some underprivileged kid who needs it more than I do.

 

Merry Christmas.

Why Women Do What We Do: Praise for The Pregnant Entrepreneur December 8, 2011

Holidays are upon us.  For most people I’ve talked to, things are crazier than ever.  It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness, or to feel overwhelmed by it.  I was having drinks with some  gal pals last night, all extraordinary models of moms in action.  These are the kinds of women who keep the world running quietly in the background for the rest of us. It got me thinking about why we all, especially moms, take on so many roles and activities.

Why I Run Two Businesses

Last year at this time, I was working on the finishing touches for my first book.  The Pregnant Entrepreneur was published this year, and has been a great way for me to offer even more assistance to women and families.  If you wonder about how and why it came about, please read the Pregnant Entrepreneur book review by Nicolette Milholland, Book Bound columnist.  This book isn’t about me, but rather it’s for the next woman who needs to know how to get through nine months with her businesses, finances and dignity intact.

I’m very proud that the book was well received by professional reviewers, including Midwest Book Review, who said this about it.  “Pregnancy doesn’t mean you stop being a businesswoman. “The Pregnant Entrepreneur” is an advisory guide for the recently expecting businesswoman who realizes her endeavors aren’t going to stop for nine months while she deals with the newest entry into her life. From making it so your business runs well when you need to take your leave, to coming back after this tough endeavor, “The Pregnant Entrepreneur” is a strongly recommended business preparation guide for those expectant mothers.”

They Called Me a Mama Mogul!

And the national parenting magazine Pregnancy and Newborn mentioned it in their October issue.

Who Cares About Pregnant Entrepreneurs?

So it turns out that one of the biggest criticisms of my book is that it is marketed too narrowly.  Women who have read it say it provides a lot of good information about staying organized and running a business, even if you aren’t pregnant.  Thankfully, that’s the kind of criticism I can take more of.  If you feel like you just need more entrepreneur stuff and less pregnant, please  go right to www.PregnantEntrepreneur.com and look at the Downloads section.  I’ve published all of the appendixes in the book for everyone to grab, for free.  Yes, even the guys can use some of these tools.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

One of the best pieces of organizing advice ever given is to start with a goal in mind.  Even my hardest case ADD/ADHD clients are excellent at something.  They, and all of us, tend to excel where we feel most motivated and energized.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE to help people get organized because they can accomplish so much more when they aren’t spinning in an overwhelmed state.  I LOVE to help people beautify their homes and offices, because life truly is better when you have a safe, beautiful place to unwind and be with friends. And I love to help other women figure out how to be successful in business.  Because I truly love all these things, I love to spend my time on them, and I get a lot done.

Pay attention to when you are most energized, most animated, and most satisfied.  Chances are, if you can line up your interest, talents and energies, you have a winning combination.

Why do you do what you do?  What would you do if you didn’t have obstacles?  Or if I’ve helped you in some way, what were you able to accomplish when you stopped the “spinning”?

By the way, if there is a woman in your life you are trying to encourage, this might be a good resource for her.  There is still time to order autographed copies as a gift.  Just visit www.PregnantEntrepreneur.com today to place your order (or visit Amazon).

Sesame Place is the Christmas Place to Be December 1, 2011

Last week I published some forms I’m using to organize our family’s holiday activities this year. I wanted to make time for special times like our family outing to Sesame Place. We made it to Sesame Place’s a Very Furry Christmas opening night, and I’m thrilled we did.

The park, the only Sesame Street-themed park in the country, is a water park/dry ride attraction during the summer. This is the first year they’ve swapped slides and sprinklers for Christmas trees and twinkle lights. Our favorite characters are still there, and there are four adorable shows to see them in action. Be sure to catch the rock show, and you’ll be dancing along.

I really love that the attraction is unapologetically a Christmas event. I learned about Kwanza and Hanukkah through some of the shows, but there were no watered down greetings or signs saying Happy Holidays. Santa makes a few appearances, but even so the whole event captured the spirit of joy and the true meaning of Christmas

My husband told me to rave about the food. We were thrilled all summer that our season passes got us 30% off at the restaurants. The food was kid friendly but tasty, fresh, and even healthy sometimes. Meal plates are generous, so we usually shared a couple of meals and a salad for the whole family. We had a full dinner for four last Friday night for just under $20.

Saving the best for last, if you go, be sure to get the kettle corn. Yum. Lightly salty, lightly sweet, another good deal at just $6 for a bag that fed all four of us all night. It’s not to be missed. Or if you can’t make it, just order it online. Ooh, this might be a problem for me.

My kids are 2 and 4, but I could see older kids, easily up to 10 years old, enjoying the park, especially for this event. Shoot, even us big girls enjoyed it. Here are some of my mom friends from the Philly Social Media Moms group. Thanks to Sherry Aikens of www.BabyPop.com the photo. That’s me all the way to the right in the big pink scarf.

We had a wonderful time ringing in the holiday season. This might be a new tradition for us. Speaking of traditions, it was a nice place to pick up a tree ornament, something we like to do wherever we vacation throughout the year. We sharpie the date on local themed ornaments, and relive happy memories when we decorate the tree.

We’ve got our Sesame Place season passes for next year, thanks to the 25% off deal available to visitors to the Very Furry Christmas event. Hope to see you there.

Disclosure: We received discounted or free tickets to attend the opening night event, but we highly recommend the season passes, available at smoking deals for everyone.

Thankful Hearts and Full Plates November 22, 2011

I’m grateful to have a full plate, but it goes way beyond what is on my dinner table.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to impact others through my business and volunteer efforts all year long.  Like many people I know, I’m personally involved in a lot of great organizations that make life better for others.  Working with and for others is one of the ways that I stay connected with a larger community, but it also reminds me daily that we all have amazing stories to tell.

At this time of year, many people make donations of time or money to charitable causes.  If you don’t already have your pet project, I hope you’ll be inspired by these wonderful organizations that I’ve supported for years:

• Church.  If you don’t currently have a church and would like to attend holiday services with my family and I, please let me know.  We’d love to have you join us.

• Local fire company.  Up until this year, I was volunteering as an EMT (ambulance crew) in my town.  I am on hiatus now.  Many people don’t realize that their local fire company and ambulance service is probably still run by a number of volunteer citizens.  We come running when you call 911.  Please support their fund drives, and maybe drop a plate of holiday cookies by the firehouse for the duty crew.

• The National Multiple Sclerosis Society may be best known as the host of the City to Shore Bike Tour  which takes place each September.  I’ve ridden the 150 miles many, many years, but our little ones can’t stand 8 minutes on a bike, let alone 8 hours.  So we’ve sponsored other riders in recent years, all with the goal of ending the devastating effects of MS.

• Interfaith Hospitality Network.  Yes, even on the Main Line, and everywhere else for that matter, there are homeless families.  I’ve served as dinner host and as organizing trainer for this organization that provides housing, services, and transitional support to families. This is one place where there is no “us” and “them”, just neighbors and guests for dinner.

• Impact Thrift is a best kept secret for us bargain shoppers, but their three thrift shops  in Montgomeryville, Norritown and Hatboro provide funds for local women and children charities (their website currently lists 18 organizations).  They also provide a very valuable scheduled pickup service of household goods, which many of my clients have used.  If you are looking to declutter your home or make your holiday shopping go farther this year, check them out.
• Habitat for Humanity is another organization that puts neighbors in our community in a better place, not through charity but through smart use of resources and shared efforts.  I’ve worked on Habitat homes in many communities in NJ and PA over the years.  I’m thrilled that their ReStores have opened in several area communities, including one in Granity Run Mall.  Check them out for great deals on household goods and construction materials. They are also a great place to start for one of a kind finds for your room redesign.

• Heifer International has a been a favorite for years.  One year my little ones donated a lamb in their grandparent’s honor, and everyone got lamb-themed gifts, like wool sweaters and scarves and lamb-shaped tree ornaments.  If you love animals of any kind, this might be the place for you to shop for clutter-free gifts.

All of these organizations could benefit from your prayers, your service, and your financial donations.  I’m grateful for their presence in our community.  As we’re enjoying our turkey dinners, please take a moment to remember these organizations that make our communities better for all.

Shoplifting Mom Tells All August 15, 2011

It’s rule number eight.  Don’t steal.  Seriously, look it up.  Among the revelations that come with being a mom, I never thought I’d be breaking rule number eight of the Ten Commandments, or that I’d be claiming that my kids made me do it.  And it’s happened more than once.  Holy cow.

            I find myself in the Target parking lot after an hour of combo cardio shopping and squats from picking up items that the baby has chucked from the cart, bags already loaded back into the car, when I pick up the toddler to find hidden underneath her, items that we took from the store without paying for.  (Queue the stunned look and pregnant pause.)  Obviously the exit gate shoplifting scanner thingies didn’t beep when we passed through, so I’m ok, right?  The cashier didn’t notice, so I’m ok, right?  I just saw the 20/20 show about how major retailers actually plan for a certain amount of “shrinkage,” so I’m ok, right? 

            No.  I have to load the baby and the toddler back in the cart, trudge back into the store, and own up for these items totalling $6.39 before I can lay my head to a pillow tonight.

            The next week, we just make it through the Wal-Mart checkout line when I notice the open box of graham cracker bears that the baby has almost devoured.  When I try to own up, the checker says to me, “I thought they were yours.”  Yes, they are since possession is 9/10th of the law and my daughter clearly possesses 9/10 of them by now, but I haven’t yet paid for them.  The checker wants me to get lost rather than mess up the rhythm of her line, but I hang tough and cash out anyway.

            It’s the cupcakes that do me in.  While sitting in a local bakery where the owner knows me, I coerce the counter kid to hand over two beautifully decorated carrot cupcakes to busy the kids while I am making my cake selection.  When all is said and done, I scoop up the kiddies and race back to the car to crank the air conditioning.  Once the car is cooled, nothing on earth could convince me to turn around and pay for the tasties that we innocently just stole, so I have to phone the shop and ask them to add the cupcakes to my tab.  I can’t do this anonymously.  They know me there.  How embarrassing.

            I’ve been mulling over the moral of the story for a few weeks now, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before it happens again.  Even organized people can overlook things?  Children learn more by watching than through words?  Kids make you do things you never imagined?  Stuff happens?  Lighten up a little?  Yes, all of the above.  I know I’m not the first mom to do this (repeatedly), but I hope that I’m modeling doing the right thing when nobody is looking, which is the definition of integrity.  But it sure would help to hear if you have your own mommy shoplifting story to share.

Add Energy to Your Decision Making August 10, 2011

“Clutter represents delayed decisions,” (Barbara Hemphill) applies to lots of types of clutter and almost any decision.

A friend asked me to write about the choosing an energy supplier in Pennsylvania, where state residents have now been able to choose their electric supplier since January 2011.  This deregulation and the marketing blitz that comes with it causes trouble for those who aren’t so good at or who hate to make decisions.

Not making a decision is, in fact, a decision.  Sure, you can stay with your current provider, the lights will stay on, and you’ll still get a bill.  No harm there, and if this is your choice, move on with your life without guilt.  Of course, the problem with this is that you are leaving money on the table.  It’s not a lot of money, in my case between $10 and $15 a month, and you can simply chose to keep paying that.

I started working at one of the big phone companies in the 1990’s not long after one of the biggest deregulation cases in history, upgrading customers to more economical plans to keep them from jumping ship to a competitor.  Customers were saving money and had the same service no matter who they went with.  I don’t mean they had similar service; in many cases (not all) they had the exact same service that I was selling.  The same thing is going on in the electric industry today, as most of the companies marketing to you are reselling power and not producing it, so you’ll receive the same exact service no matter who bills you.

In a few cases, you’ll also have another decision about whether to buy sustainable power from your chosen supplier.  The sustainable power is still usually less expensive than your current default provider, but it is a teensy bit more expensive than a reseller’s base option so they can invest in alternative energy, like wind and solar farms.

One friend told me she hadn’t made a choice on energy suppliers because when she had chosen providers before, her first two choices had gone out of business a few months later.  There was no harm done, since the service always reverts to the default provider, but she lost a little confidence about her ability to chose this time around.  Our country learned a lot when we deregulated the phone company in the 1980’s.  As a result, all of the offers you’ll be seeing in the mail will have competitive rates that may or may not be guaranteed for some period, contracts that last about a year, billing that is pretty easy to understand through the default provider (PECO in my case), and maybe a promotional gift involved.  The one I received in the mail today offers a $50 VISA card, but I only looked at the letter for research, not because I’m interested in switching.

I switched providers back in January to my energy co-op.  (Full disclosure:  I will earn a token gift if you sign up and mention my name, but even if you don’t, they are worth checking out.  This is not a paid post and I do not sell energy services.) They’ve provided my home heating oil for years and, like a credit union, I like that they are working for the community and not investors.  They aren’t digging the coal or drilling the oil to provide my electric; they are providing the business that I interface with, and they offer sustainable solutions.   Like Target and Wal-Mart don’t manufacture their products (not even the ones with their brand!), they simply aggregate the choices so I can make one trip to the store.

Compared to the PECO rate of $.1042, I’m paying $.0928 per KWh for now,  but I can always make a different decision.  PECO’s  rates to compare and those of other companies do change several times a year, but for the small amount of money involved, I’m not going to spend a lot of time checking and rechecking my current deal.  I’ll probably check into it once a year, like when I renew my oil contract or maybe around tax time.  I’m not locked in, but I am saving about $10 each month, and I don’t have to ever open another envelope marked, “Save on energy” if I don’t want to.

So if you haven’t made your choice yet, talk to the very next friend who tells you they are reselling energy solutions, or send back the reply card for the very next company who asks you to switch.  If they are offering rates below $.11 or so, you’ll make a bit of money now and you’ll still have choices in the future.  And you can finally recycle all of those other mail-in energy offers you’ve been hoarding to review when you had a bit more time, which we both know is never going to make it to the top of the to-do list.

If this post didn’t answer your questions on how to chose an energy supplier, please comment below and let’s talk about it.

What Is the Internet Doing to Our Brains? July 15, 2011

I’m up late working, I’m a little hungry, and I’ve been fighting with my email program all day.  I also just finished reading The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr.  I started reading expecting the news to be all bad, but the book shows a fairly balanced view of the benefits and pitfalls of the information age.

 

It turns out that the demands that modern technology places on us and our bodies (for that is where cognition and memory lives) is complex, but not unique.  Our ancestors were also changed profoundly by the introduction of technologies like – brace yourself  here – the wristwatch and the map.  What is cool is that we now have the technology, through MRIs and modern science, to understand that changes are being made to the way our brains operate biologically as we shift our information consumption habits. 

Carr makes the case that:

• we are more like jet-ski skimmers today than scuba divers of the past
• we are learning staccato, non-linear patterns of processing through our interaction with the net and hypertext
• we become skilled online hunters, but we lose the ability for “deep reading”
• the natural state of the human brain is one of distractedness
• we are replacing core, firsthand knowledge with an “outboard brain”
• we are undisputedly losing memory skills through disuse, poor nutrition, and lack of sleep

There is a reason many of us spend the day muttering, “Now what was I just doing?”

Many of my clients are ADD or are concerned they might be.  In fact, I believe that many of us are situationally ADD, unable to focus on important aspects of our lives and relationships to a level that brings us satisfaction.  Carr makes the case that we are approaching a time when those who make time for reflection and mental downtime will be considered the “Reading Class” and societal elite.

Carr neither diagnoses society’s infatuation with instant everything, nor does he prescribe a cure for our rapidly decreasing attention spans.  What he does is provide some perspective that while change is inevitable, we can chose the level of interaction we allow.  We can make our own space for quiet reflection.  And by paying attention, we can make time to think about how we think, strengthening our thought processes. 

Carr’s book builds on the premise of another book I read recently, called How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer.  Both books can be summarized into a credo: thinking about thinking matters.  What do you think about that?

Is There a Cyclone in My Future? May 20, 2011

I’ve watched with interest the vacuum wars.  Dyson launched their revolutionary cyclone technology in 1993, and they are just now starting to see competitors with similar technology.  I’m smitten with the Shark LiftAway, at hundreds of dollars less than the Dyson, but without the very sexy yellow ball.  I don’t own one yet, but if I see one more late night TV pitch, my will might be broken.

Around about 2005, I noticed that many of my clients were trading in their Hoovers for Dysons. While I’ve used Dysons briefly at jobs, I can’t say whether they would work better in my home. 

Do you have any experience with the cyclonic technology for vacuums?  What do you think?

Winners of HeartWork Organizing’s First Contest Announced March 14, 2011

Thanks to all who participated in the our first ever social media contest.  I have to admit that it is exciting to be connected to so many wonderful people in so many ways.  We have so many great ideas and friends to get acquainted with through blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and whatever the next great thing will be.  Please connect with us however it’s best for you, and always remember that our absolute favorite way of staying in touch with you is by phone and in person.

Now, for the winners.  Liz Gallagher of Wayne won the grand prize, which included a massive set of wonderful products of Sun and Earth, along with three beautiful linen organizers from www.ShopGetOrganized.com.

Grand Prize Winner

 

Liz’s package contained about $100 of goodies.  Julia Sanders of Pottstown also won a Sun & Earth Prize pack.  Thanks to both of you for being connected on Facebook to HeartWork Organizing. 

Cara Solomon of Philly won a Peter Walsh In Place organizing system for being connected via LinkedIn.  Bernice Wood (Womanonjourney) of Oxford, GA won an iOrganize Binder system for following us on Twitter. 

Please go ahead and like us, follow us, and link with us.  There’s more fun stuff planned for the future.

Getting Social Comes with Prizes February 2, 2011

Can you feel the love?  We’ve decided to extend our social networking contest until 2/14.  There has never been an easier contest to enter.  We’ve got some great prizes. 

Our friends at Sun and Earth have partnered with us with over $50 of great products, including their awesome laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaners and dish soap, among other fun stuff.  We are pairing this with a three pack of linen organizers, great for keeping the linen closet tidy.   I absolutely love this product, especially since I took the factory tour earlier this summer.  But this week when a friend was visiting and complimented my kitchen hand soap, we got to talking, and I realized that I haven’t gotten my normal cracked, dry hands this winter.  Since I constantly wash my hands throughout the day at my kitchen sink, I believe I can credit the Sun and Earth dish soap that I use for keeping my hands soft and healthy.  It is dermatologist recommended, and I can see why.

Sun and Earth product with Linen Organizers Prize Package

There are two other prizes.  The very cool Pendaflex i-Organize binder system is the next generation in binder flexibility, and some lucky winner will receive a starter kit.  Fans of  Peter Walsh (from the TV show Clean Sweep) will love having their very own sleek InPlace System, an elegant solution for storing documents at home or on the go.

OOPS…we’ve just added a prize, so now there will be 4 winners!   Another lucky winner will get a batch of Sun and Earth products.   Yeah!!!

Like us on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter  @darlademorrow. Link to us on LinkedIn! We’ll be chosing one winner on each service on 2/14 (Valentine’s Day) to win these nice organizing tools.  The contest is open, and all who connect with us are entered. You can enter more than once. Get your friends to connect with us, have them name you in their wall post, tweet, or LinkedIn invitation, and you’re entered again.

For example, when you promote the HeartWork Organizing business page on your personal Facebook page, encourage to your friends to “like” HeartWork Organizing’s page and add a message stating who sent them. So, your friends will need to do two things: 

1. “Like” the business page. (Or connect to @DarlaDeMorrow on Twitter, or Link to Darla DeMorrow on LinkedIn)

 2. Add a post on our WALL stating who sent them. For example, “I like HeartWork Organizing thanks to Mary Jones.”

 Just be sure to “Like” the business page for HeartWork Organizing, not “friend” my personal page, please.

 Don’t keep us a secret, share us with your friends. Good luck 🙂  We look forward to naming FOUR winners on 2/14.

First Ever Social Contest from HeartWork Organizing January 13, 2011

We’re running a contest all this month! Like us on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter. Link to us on LinkedIn! We’ll be chosing one winner on each service over the next few weeks to win some nice organizing tools. We won’t bore you with the nitty gritty, but go ahead and get social with us right away. The contest is open, and all who connect with us are entered. You can enter more than once. Get your friends to connect with us, have them say so in their wall post, tweet, or LinkedIn invitation, and you’re entered again.

For example, when you promote the HeartWork Organizing business page on your personal Facebook page, encourage to your friends to “like” HeartWork Organizing’s page and add a message stating who sent them. So, your friends will need to do two things: 

1. “Like” the business page.

 2. Add a post on our WALL stating who sent them. For example, “I like HeartWork Organizing thanks to Mary Jones.”

 Just be sure to “Like” the business page for Heartwork Organizing, not “friend” my personal page, please.

 Don’t keep us a secret, share us with your friends. Good luck 🙂

Upcoming Fun Stuff September 21, 2010

Come & Learn
…there will be chocolate

Try this at home!

This Tuesday, 9/21, at 7 PM please join me at the Upper Merion (King of Prussia) public library for Maintain & Contain Your Home Office. This paper management seminar offers real, applicable strategies you can use immediately to make peace with your mail and start to dig out from your paper piles. Please register by emailing or calling 610-265-4805.

September 24, stop by and say hi at the Greater Philadelphia Home Show at the Valley Forge Convention Center, www.valleyforgehomeshow.com. I’ll be at the ShelfGenie booth, helping to extol the virtues of roll-out shelves for kitchens and storage areas.

Next Thursday, 9/30, at 7:30 you’ll be delighted with a fun
Decorating on a Dime presentation at the Tredyffrin (Wayne) public library. This is perhaps my most fun topic, as I share loads of before & after photos of real one-day re-designs and share the secret to those transformations. Plus, I give you an incantation that makes anything possible, although it might make your spouse groan. Don’t miss it. Please register by emailing or calling 610.688.7092

Wednesday, October 6, at 8 PM, please join the
Preschool Survival Kit, a free teleconference from your home phone. If you are sending little ones to school this year (preschool or K), you’ll want to pick up these organizing and parenting tips to make the days easier. I am thrilled to be co-presenting with parent coach and my hero, Barb Bogle. The teleconference is completely free, and you might even win a wonderful parent resouce, the Parenting with Love & Logic book. Just register now for this free teleconference. Registration is free but required to get the call in number.

Wednesday, October 13, at 7 PM at the Easttown public library (Berwyn/Paoli area), join us for the start of the 4-session Clear Path Strategies clutter support group. The Filing Freedom series is a small-group series that helps you create your very own maintenance-free filing system for your home or small business. Past participants have called this tool life-changing. This is the last time this will be offered this year. Register here.

What I Learned Living in a Family of 12 August 7, 2010

It seems I’ve been doing a lot of learning this summer, and that includes what I learned when three of us visited a dear friend last week, and her family of nine.  With seven kids spanning 6 months to age 20, I knew I’d pick up a few much needed tricks to get me through the rest of my daughter’s toddler years.

Our Family of 12, at least for the week

1.  There’s always time for the important things.  What’s important?  Each family gets to decide.  It’s not what the catalogs or TV or your peer group decides.  Not being Catholic, I sat through my first family rosary.  Yes, even their three year old and mine sat through 20 minutes of prayers.  I thought they did this maybe once a week, but no, they do it almost every single day, even in the car if they have to.  This wasn’t rushed or obligatory, but it is important to them, and so they fit it in.  Bravo!  I believe there is always time for things that pass the 5-year test.  If it will matter in 5 years, then make time for it.  If it truly won’t matter in 5 years, then maybe it’s just cluttering your day.   I already know this family is sticking to things that matter on a routine basis because their nearly-adult children tell me so.

2.  It’s easier to stay organized & sane if you don’t let others set your priorities.   This is a corollary of number 1 above.  They have a TV, but rarely watch it.  They have the internet, but are rarely on it.  The older kids have cell phones but no text messaging, and they are able to carry on real conversations with real people around them remarkably well.  The kids can spend their own money on whatever they want, but their house is not cluttered.  Thrift is valued, and they take care of their things.

3.  We really don’t need more than two bathrooms.  Angie and I will laugh for years that on the day I arrived, one of their toilets broke.  With only one working bathroom, we still got by just fine, thank you, and no one was seen pounding on the bathroom door.  And as she says, “Who needs 6 bathrooms to clean?”  I also think the smaller bathrooms, that she and I both have in our homes, are easier to keep clean.  We can all be grateful for what we have.

4.  You might really need 15 boxes of cereal.  Here’s where stocking up really does pay off, in a small or larger family.  There was a window of almost three hours where family members straggled in to the kitchen for breakfast.  Even though not everyone ate together, things were well orchestrated because the cereal was stored on the lowest pantry shelf, the older ones helped the younger ones with their bowls, and everyone brought their own dirty dishes to the sink.

4.  Jack Sprat is where it’s at.  Angie says it’s called the Jack Sprat diet, but they just call it a way of life.  She builds their meal along a simple principle.  She starts with a heaping helping of fresh vegetables, whole wheat grains pasta or bread, a small portion of protein, and fresh fruit for dessert.  Very little candy, sugar, or fat.  Meals are often followed by a brisk walk around the neigborhood, about three miles long.  I felt right at home here.

5.  A change of pace is good, but rules still apply.  Both my kids and hers loved the change of routine that a trip and out of town visitors bring, but we all brought along our manners and good humor.  Maybe we saw each other on our best behavior all week, but it’s nice to know that our best behavior is acheivable and something to be proud of.  Hey, we’re all human, but it’s nice to be praised for the good stuff on a regular basis.  And even on vacation, we have more fun together when we all work together to clean up the toys.

This week was an example of one of my favorite sayings.  If you come to see me, come anytime; if you come to see my house, call ahead.  Thanks, Angie, for hosting us in your house that didn’t feel at all like it has 9 people in it usually, and 12 people when we crash there.   I hope you know that when you come to see me, you can come anytime, whether you call ahead or not.