NAPO Conference Packing Tips: From NAPO Houston Members

Next week a whole bunch of Houston professional organizers are headed to the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) conference in Fort Worth, TX. We have about 30 or so Houston members and business partners going and this may be the largest amount to have gone because it is only a 4 or so hour drive from Houston to Fort Worth. A whole bunch of us are super excited. I personally can't wait to catch up with colleagues, meet new people, learn and have fun! Will you be there? Here are some tips from our members on what you should bring:

Adonna Braly of Clutter Roundup: "Comfortable shoes!....lots of walking going on there!"

Ann Zanon of A2Z Organizing Solutions: 
"-a pen or marker that writes on shiny business cards. 
-a sweater or large scarf for the cold rooms
-reusable water bottle (remember Pittsburgh with the dixie cups?)
-small snacks if you are a snacker" 

Naomi Kealy of Charming Spaces: "I was planning to bring business cards, a notebook and pencil, and probably my phone charger."

Susan Wade of Sunflower Strategies: "Highlighter for handouts, rubber band for all the biz cards you'll be getting, 2 binder clips in case your room faces East and the drapes don't close all the way (past experience) lol, ribbon or something to tie or clip or your conference bag since they are all the same"

Ellen Delap of Professional-organizer.com: "Sweater or shawl. It’s cold in there"

Michelle Smithpeter of Pretty Practical Spaces: "I appreciate all the tips! It is my first NAPO Conference.

I will bring my own tote bag to haul the daily take + session prep materials."

Mary Jo Contello of Organized by MJ: "A notebook for all your notes or print out the session handouts to write on as they do not give you copies. And a reusable cup or water bottle as mentioned above. Never leave without a sweater or light weight jacket...it is freezing. Since we are mostly driving lots of snacks and your favorite adult beverage!"

Tiffany Mensing of Space and Serenity: "Tissues for when they talk about the community partner 😭"

Gayle Goddard of The Clutter Fairy: "My favorite conference helper is an office supply - a clear, pleated, zippered pouch. I use it to capture all my receipts while I'm there, plus all the business cards I get from organizers and vendors both. There's always some coupon from a vendor or small info sheet to keep track of - it's the perfect way to capture all the little papers you need when you get home!"

Amy Vance of Eco Modern Concierge: "I agree with everyone else, but also want to add. Bring cash for tipping if you go out or need it unexpectedly, medicine / vitamins to stay in tip top shape like emergen C, multivitamin, etc., swimsuit if the hotel has a pool or hot tub, portable charger, if you are driving or bring in wine or beer, don't forget the opener ;), and the list goes on..... "

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Photo by Studio 7042 from Pexels

Tip Tuesday: Save for the Holidays

I was reading an Angie's List article last month that came in the mail and thought they had a great idea in there that I wanted to share. In order to help save for the holidays, start buying gift cards to your favorite stores you frequent during the holidays. Purchase them weekly, monthly, every pay period or whatever works best for you. Then when the holidays role around you will be prepared financially and will not be as stressed out. As a concierge and professional organizer, I think this is a great tip and I've used it myself. I am not sure about other places, but in Houston there are often many sales close to the holidays or discount cards you can use at various stores. Happy stress-free shopping!

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How to Organize a National Night Out for your Neighborhood

I know I have posted this info a couple of years ago, but thought I would post again. For the past 2 years I have organized National Night Out for our neighborhood and I wanted to share with you some things that I have found helpful when planning a National Night Out event. Most states celebrate National Night Out in August, but in Texas and some other states it takes place in October when the weather is cooler. This year it is on October 3rd. I organized it for the neighborhood I grew up in over a decade ago and when we moved into our new house I decided to take this on since many of the neighbors rarely get out and go to neighborhood events. 

• Get the word out. I first get the word out about the date it will be by writing a blurb about it in our neighborhood newsletter, word of mouth, etc. I also send out an Evite to get an idea of how many people will be there. 
• Post to social media. Then I post on our Facebook site and NextDoor site (like Facebook for neighborhoods).
• Donations. Ask for donations and get neighbors to bring a side dish. We have had generous neighbors donate all the hot dogs. We also have had several local businesses donate items. 
• Ask for help. Then I start rallying the troops (other neighbors) to help with the event. This includes set up, cooking the food, etc. Unfortunately, in the past I was not able to make our neighborhood night out and have relied on others more than I normally would. Don't hesitate to ask for help from others are usually willing to help if they can.
• Call local officials. We start calling local officials to see if they will come out and greet neighbors. Call your local police department, fire station and city hall members. Usually there are requests that you can fill out online. Neighbors really like it when they can talk to someone from the city and express their concerns or express their gratitude. 
• Set up early. There will always be those people who show up early, so prepare everything about 30 minutes early. For us there isn't a lot going on and it is pretty simple, so it won't take long to set up.
• Enjoy. Mix and mingle with neighbors and enjoy hanging out with them.
• Clean up. Bring 2 bags one for trash and one for recycle. This makes clean up easy. 

Things we have prepared for the evening: 

• Local officials to stop by.
• Crafts for kids. We will have card making with the Halloween / Fall foam cutouts (picture below and I got them in the $1 bin at Target) and DIY pinecone bird feeders. 
• Our neighborhood Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) team members to talk about emergency preparedness.
• Give away raffle items that local businesses donated. 

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3 Tips for Getting Organized in the Mornings

I created a YouTube video on 3 Tips for Getting Organized in the Mornings. I go over some things that have helped my clients and I through the years. What are some things you do to get organized in the mornings? What are some other videos you would like to see? 

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Time Saving Tips: Meal Time

Throughout the years I have found several meal time saving tips that have really helped me save some time in the kitchen. When my husband and I come home from work sometimes the last thing we want to think about is what to fix for dinner. I am by no means an expert, but these are some items that I have found helpful and that I use from time to time or on a regular basis.

1. Meal plan. This is one thing that was a goal of ours this year and it is has helped tremendously so we don't waste as much food and don't fallback on completely unhealthy meal choices on a regular basis. I am not saying this never happens because our weeks and schedules often change, but we make healthy choices on a more regular basis now.
2. Crockpot meals. Wow! this is a total time saver. We have had and used a crockpot for years, but ever since Bry gave me the Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook for Christmas, this year so far we have used it a ton and the meals are good! 
3. Buy frozen cubed food products. I first saw these products (pictured above) at HEB several months ago and have since seen them at various stores throughout Houston. Since I shop all over for clients, I have come to find out that Wal-Mart and Trader Joe's also sell these products. I am sure there places do to I just haven't seen them there yet. The bad thing is they are not made in the USA. They are made in Israel. I have popped these into various dishes from stir fry to sauté veggies. They are a complete time saver.
4. Buy frozen fruits / veggies. I always keep a handful or frozen fruits / veggies on hand for things that I need to whip up in a pinch or moments when I just don't have time to prepare something. My go frozen fruits are organic strawberries, organic mixed berries and organic bananas. My go to frozen veggies are organic spinach, organic peas (I think Whole Foods has the best tasting ones), frozen green beans.  Although you don't have to get organic, I prefer that for my family and it really isn't much more cost wise when it comes to the frozen items. 
5. Wash and Chop. When you get home from the grocery or farmers market wash and chop items right away. By doing this you will save so much time during the week and it is such a time saver when cooking meals.
6. Squeezable containers. One thing my aunts had recently and we knew we "needed" it was squeezable sour cream. Wow, this stuff is great. The sour cream container doesn't get all gunky and it makes it super easy to put on tacos, baked potatoes, etc. 
7. Buy pre-chopped / pre-peeled items. When you don't have time and are willing to pay a little extra you can buy pre-chopped items. I really dislike chopping onions (I have onion goggles my brother in law gave me one year for Christmas), so most of the times I have Bry do it. If I am in a pinch and need something specific for a meal and don't feel like chopping, slicing or whatever I buy the pre-chopped items. Yesterday we were having family over for fajitas and had car troubles before we went to the store and I knew I would not have the time or desire to chop or clean cilantro so I bought it pre-chopped. I recently discovered Trader Joe's pre-peeled garlic and love it since I use garlic pretty often.
8. Juice fruits. In order to get me to drink more water later I have been juicing lemons and putting them into ice trays, which I talked about in a previous post recently. We also juice a ton of other items, which really come in handy. I really like having orange juice on hand and freeze it in gallon size freezer bags for when we have guest and can whip up mimosas in the morning. 
9. Freeze meals. Throughout the year I cook extra and freeze meals for days we just don't have time. This is big time saver. One of my favorite things that I really like to cook and freeze is stuffed peppers because I think they taste so good after they are been frozen. It's like the flavor just really sets in.
10. Buy frozen meals. We always have store bought frozen meals on hand as well. We buy frozen meals almost exclusively from Trader Joe's now because their frozen food is really good. Our go to items are their vegetable fried rice and any of their frozen asian food. We also keep frozen Trader Joe's appetizers on hand because sometimes on the weekends we will have an appetizer night or if unexpected guest drop by we can whip something up real quick. Also, we really like to have Costco cheese pizzas on hand because they are delicious. 
11. Restaurant food. Every now and then I will pick up something from a restaurant if it is something I know I want to eat or if I know I have people coming over and don't want to cook. Since this can be costly, I don't do it often. 
12. Apps. There are so many items out there that can help with saving time when it comes to groceries and meals like Instacart, Favor and Grubhub. My clients and I have used some of these services. I usually only use it for meal delivery when I can't leave a clients place. I am paying a premium, which I don't like to do on a regular basis. 
13. Hire help. I help people all the time with grocery shopping, picking up meals from restaurants, recipe research, etc. Hire me ;) or someone in your area to help you save some time. Some of my clients have chefs who pre-make meals for them or come into their homes and cook for them. If it is in your budget, it may be something you want to consider if you just have absolutely no time or the disposable income.

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How to Organize a Neighborhood Night Out Event

Our neighborhood is celebrating it's 1st neighborhood National Night Out next week and I wanted to share with you some things that I have found helpful when planning this. Most states celebrate National Night Out in August, but in Texas and some other states it takes place in October when the weather is cooler. I organized it for the neighborhood I grew up in over a decade ago and when we moved into our new house I decided to take this on since many of the neighbors rarely get out and go to neighborhood events. This year has been a total just winging process.

What: National Night Out

When: Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Where: Our local park

Who: We invited all of our neighbors

• Get the word out. I first get the word out about the date it will be by writing a blurb about it in our neighborhood newsletter. I also send out an Evite to get an idea of how many people will be there. 
• Post to social media. Then I post on our Facebook site and NextDoor site (like Facebook for neighborhoods).
• Donations. Ask for donations and get neighbors to bring a side dish. We have a generous neighbor donating all the hot dogs. We also have several local businesses who are donating items. 
• Ask for help. Then I start rallying the troops (other neighbors) to help with the event. This includes set up, cooking the food, etc. Unfortunately, this year I am not going to make our neighborhood night out and have relied on others more than I normally would. Don't hesitate to ask for help from others are usually willing to help if they can.
• Call local officials. We start calling local officials to see if they will come out and greet neighbors. Call your local police department, fire station and city hall members. Usually there are requests that you can fill out online. Neighbors really like it when they can talk to someone from the city and express their concerns or express their gratitude. 
• Set up early. There will always be those people who show up early, so prepare everything about 30 minutes early. For us there isn't a lot going on and it is pretty simple, so it won't take long to set up.
• Enjoy. Mix and mingle with neighbors and enjoy hanging out with them.
• Clean up. Bring 2 bags one for trash and one for recycle. This makes clean up easy. 

Things we have prepared for the evening: 

• Local officials to stop by.
• Crafts for kids. We will have card making with the Halloween / Fall foam cutouts (picture below and I got them in the $1 bin at Target) and DIY pinecone bird feeders. 
• Our neighborhood Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) team members to talk about emergency preparedness.
• Give away raffle items that local businesses donated. 

Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) Essentials

My husband, Bryan, and I have been going to Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) for years. In all honesty he is not much of a music festival / concert person, but he does these things for me because I love it. I wanted to highlight some things for us that have been helpful and useful throughout the years of going. As you can see in some of the photos there are a few things I initially left out of the main photo that are very important and you will see in photos below.  Here are some things we like to bring.

• Wristbands.
• Backpack.
• Sunscreen.
• Sunglasses.
• Phone. You can check Twitter for giveaways while you are at the festival.
• Empty Water Bottle. There are fill stations throughout Zilker. Stay hydrated.
• Tarp and Ponchos. This is in case it starts raining, which it has various times throughout the years.
• Comfortable Clothes and Shoes. You will walk a lot. I try to wear sandals or flip flops in case they get wet it can dry fast.  Same with clothing, you want fast drying cloths if it rains. I am more about function than style when it comes to music festivals.
• Hand Sanitizer. Because porta potties are nasty.
• Wipes / Toilet Paper. I will carry these things because you never know how the porta potties will be.
• Cash / Credit Cards. Now you are able to connect your wristband to your credit card, but we still carry one card, cash and our Drivers License.
• Chairs. We usually don’t bring them, but you can if you want.
• Waterproof Bag or Ziploc Baggies. This is in case it rains to keep our phones dry.
• External Phone Charger. We have never brought one in the past, but may this year because usually our phones are running low by the end of the night.

Also, this is a good article of what others recommend to bring http://www.austin360.com/news/entertainment/music/acl-fest-expert-advice/nSYLZ/

Tips while you are at the festival

• Try all kinds of food, it really is good.
• Listen to various acts, you'll be pleasantly surprised on how good many of them are.
• Don't get too wasted and stay hydrated.
• Save to buy your souvenirs for at night so you don't lose them or ruin them. ACL used to have a USPS booth set up where you could ship your items to your home. Not sure if they will have that this year. We always buy a poster and wait to buy it at the end of one evening.
• Take the shuttle if you can. There are so many constantly running and you rarely have to wait long to get on one. The only time we really wait is at night if we stay until the last act finishes up.
• If there is a lull period you don't have any particular bands you want to see leave and then come back. We have done this various times throughout the years. Sometimes we go eat at a nearby restaurant and other times we go back to our rental and take a quick nap.
• If you are renting a condo, a house, or somewhere with a kitchen for the festival bring snacks or frozen food. A lot of times we are hungry when we finish up with the festival and pizza often takes at least an hour to be delivered, if not longer. 
• Have fun!

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Eco Holiday Tips

So I had every intention of writing more blog posts this month, but honestly work has been crazy and I just haven't felt like writing on here when I get home. I know this little post may be coming a little late, but here are some eco holiday tips you can follow. 

• If you shop online try to get a majority of your items from the same place so you can reduce the amount of packaging you use
• Make your own gifts i.e. scarves, mittens, jellies, pastries, etc.
• Plan your shopping trips so you don’t have to drive as much and ride your bike whenever possible
• Bring your own bags
• Try wrapping gifts with the comics section, reuse old paper maps, and spare scrap pieces of cloth
• Send holiday cards by using cards made of recycled paper or send e-cards
• Buy vintage gift items or gifts cards to reduce on the amount of packaging
•  Buy LED lights for the outside of your house and tree
• If you are using candles during the holiday season buy soy or beeswax candles
• Make or reuse your old decorations or if you must buy new ones buy from resale shops
• For parties buy or cater locally
•  Don’t use disposable plates, silverware, etc
•  Stay home instead of traveling
• Carpool whenever you can, especially if you will be making a lot of trips to the store

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Unusual (and some not so unusual) Eco - Tips

Below are a list of some unusual and some not so unusual eco tips:

• You can make and use eco cleaners with things you have in the house already: vinegar, baking soda, lemon, castile soap and water.
• Olive oil can be used to get off sticky stuff on glass, plastic, etc (asks similar to goo-gone).
• Water and vinegar in a spray bottle will melt ice off car windows.
• You can use the skin peels of lemons, grapefruits, etc to grow seedlings of herbs.
• If you drop your phone in water immediately put into a bowl of rice to soak up the water.
• Pour vodka on your skin if you come in contact with poison ivy and it helps wash the poison ivy away.
• Use cucumbers or cornmeal to get rid of ants. 
• Make flowers from the store last / stay fresh longer by filling a vase 1/2 with ice and 1/2 with water and change everyday.
• Use air purifying plants in your house or office to get rid of toxins. Use plants like: english ivy, peace lily, lady palm, areca palm, boston fern.
• Put clear eco nail polish on cheap jewelry, i.e forever 21 jewelry, to keep the jewelry from chipping and turning colors.
• Re-use old magazines and roll up and put in boots to keep the form of the boots.
• Hang dry your clothing instead of putting it in the dryer. 
• Rubbing a walnut on your furniture will fade scratches and dings.
• Compost your scraps. You don't need a fancy compost system.
• Store bed linens inside of one of the pillowcases so everything is organized all together for that set.
• Reuse egg cartons to store Christmas ornaments.
• Start canning your own food.
• Host a clothes swap.
• Chalk can remove grease stains. Rub chalk on the spot and throw the clothing in the wash.
• Donate and shop at thrift stores (I find the best deals here).
• Stay in "Green Seal" certified hotels when traveling.
• Go on a volunteer vacation.
• Use ride-sharing / carpool program.

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Renting Tips

As a part -time real estate agent, that as of right now only deals with people who are renting, there are many of things that people ask my advice on and I try to help my clients to the best of my ability. Here are a few things that I think people should follow in order to get into the place they love:

• Take your time looking, never settle for anything you 1. can't afford and 2. just don't like. Many of times people become very frustrated with the fact that they have been looking for a long time or have to move very quickly, so they just settle. I highly recommend taking your time if at all possible and going with that gut feeling.
• Location, Location, Location. I know this is something that you hear about all the time, but many of times you will pay the price for the location, but you don't have to. When I was looking to rent I looked for what felt like forever, but there were several things that I wouldn't budge on, which was location and my budget most importantly. You just have to diligently search.
• When it comes to price never go over your budget because there are many things you need to consider besides the rent, which is all your other bills like utilities, insurance, car, food, etc. etc.
• Try to negotiate as much as possible. Ask if there is a discount, if you are a student see if there is a student discount, see if they will go down on the rent if you pay a chunk of $ upfront, if you sign a lease for 1+ years, etc. In real estate there is almost always room for negotiation and it never hurts to ask.
• Be patient. I know this is hard for many people, including myself, but it is something that you will appreciate in the end. Everything usually falls into place if you just stay relaxed about the whole process and try not to get too overwhelmed.
• Be sure to read the lease carefully and understand every part of it. If there is anything that you do not feel comfortable with be sure to ask questions.
• I would recommend to always get renters insurance even if it is never used, you never know when the complex or house can go up in flames.
• A great way to find a place is by looking on craigslist or just by driving around the neighborhoods.

There are so many more tips that I could elaborate on, but these are some of the main points that concern my clients the most and what I tell them when they are looking.

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