OrganizingLA Blog

Stronger Planning & Better Organizing can Reduce Holiday Stress

I am totally stressing.  I can't find appropriate holiday cards.  I swept over to Paper Source in Beverly Hills this afternoon.  Then, Barney's on Wilshire, The Good Life at Party on La Cienega, and finally the phenomenal Fred Segal on Melrose.  Nothing.  Well, lots.  But nothing as clever as I discovered last year from Mira Mira.  The holiday stationery from Mrs. John L. Strong Fine Stationery at Barney's were clearly the most elegant, but still not right.

I feel like I've got a timer going, and if my cards go out too late, people won't think this "Professional Organizer" is "organized."  Not funny.  The whole day didn't start out mellow anyway, as I began it by reading the Reuters Jerry Falwell holiday tree/Christmas tree controversy.  So now I am worrying about the world, too.

Can you relate to any of this?  Do the holidays stress you out?  Do you need a Holiday Intervention?  Some facts are on the way to ease your mind...

A Tidy Holiday House Is Just a Mouse Click Away - Tips from Fly Lady

Being organized may seem like an open smile on a friendly shore, but there's nothing like coming home to a clean house, especially when you're dropping that  little brown bag full of holiday goodies and you're tired.

But how do you come home to a clean house when you don't even know where to start?  Say you're not able to hire a Professional Organizer to get you structured and systemed, or a Merry Maid to clean for you?

This weekend's Los Angeles Daily News printed an article starring the infamous FlyLady, Marla Cilley. The Mid-west Clean Queen has the answers for the ambitious self-helping mother-- but Cilley's theories hit the necessary marks and work for just about everyone.  If you start today, your holidaze may be less frenzied and more fabulous.

2006 Los Angeles Organizing Awards

The Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers, is sponsoring it's first annual Los Angeles Organizing Awards on January 30th, 2006. And the public is invited to vote for the winners, but hurry-- votes must be in by November 30th.

Yours truly, John Trosko, is Chairperson for the event, as well as Director of Professional Development for the Chapter's monthly meetings.

The Organized Week - Recapitulated

Ah.. nice long weekend.  Wherever your Thanksgiving weekend plans took you (Barney's, Gelson's, Pacific Park or a luxurious weekend at Wynn,) let OrganizingLA Blog take you to our posting recap from last week.

So pull up a bowl of turkey soup with chedder dumplings, a piece of your favorite pumpkin yam with pecan praline pie, and allow us to serve you up a heap of "Organizing Euphoria."  Our favorite leftover, of course.

Getting Back to Basics - NPR Story

I once met a couple who lost everything in the '93 Northridge Earthquake.  They both told me "how thankful there were as a result of losing everything."  They weren't bogged down with clutter, decisions, cleaning or maintaining all their "stuff."  Of course what they missed was all their financial paperwork and family photos, but that's really all.  Since then, they've pretty much emotionally recovered and today maintain a simpler life learning the lessons of losing everything, and valuing nothing, except their family.

9 OrganizingLA Hip Tips for an Eco-Friendly Relocation

Last week, the OrganizingLA Blog received a comment from reader Eric, about energy savings and his devotion to be "green."

Since recycling and being smart about the environment is a popular subject with our Clients as well as LA's Glitterati, we wanted to write about a special service:  UsedCardboardBoxes.com.

You won't need to check with your Hollywood Agent about this one.  It's brainless.