Woohoo! Thanks to a referral made by Candace Steyn, I have been invited to conduct an organizing presentation for the Northeast Christian Church MOPS group in Lexington, KY!

What: “Get Organized, Mom!” Seminar
When: Thursday, February 21st @ 9:00am
Where: Northeast Christian Church, Lexington, KY
Cost: Free!

The seminar will include tips on how to get (and stay) organized with children through all the stages—infancy, toddlerhood, preschool years, and beyond.

I will share plenty of practical tips and ideas including:

• managing schedules,
• maintaining accurate records,
• storing clothes, toys, and other children’s items,
• travelling with children (from shopping trips to long vacations), and
• cultivating your marriage and personal interests.

In addition, the MOPS moms have been asked to bring photos of the most cluttered (i.e., least organized) rooms of their homes. During the meeting, without knowing which photo belongs to which mom, each woman will vote on which room she believes should be deemed the “messiest.”

At the end of the organizing presentation, all votes cast will be tallied and the “messiest room” award winner will receive a 1-hour organizing gift certificate (a $40 value)! Plus, there will be plenty of free samples, door prizes, handouts, and ideas to take home!

I can hardly wait! Hope to see you there!

BTW: If you join us at the MOPS meeting, please stick around after the presentation to chat with me. Plus, mention my blog for a special bonus!

As a fairly new small business owner, I have quickly learned that managing client information, marketing campaigns, and general business administrative tasks can easily become extremely overwhelming. Any suggestions?

Pen and paper aside, I’m in the market for an online hosted CRM solution. I’d love to integrate my website directly into the CRM application in order to manage my newsletter mailing lists with greater efficiency. At this point, though, it’s beginning to seem as though my head is in the clouds…

My professional organizing business is currently 95% service-based. At some point in the future, I do plan to expand into selling organizing-related products. I know, I know… there are definitely solutions out there that meet all my “requirements,” but I simply can’t afford to use them! I need some guidance!

My current CRM wish list:

• visually-appealing interface
• web-based & hosted
• lead, prospect, and customer tracking
• sales process management
• marketing campaign management
• automated drip marketing
• customizable reporting
• at-a-glance daily task list
• inexpensive (if not free)!

If you currently own a small business (or have owned a small business in the past), how do you manage your client information and marketing campaigns? I’d love to hear from you!

Courtesy of ParentHacks.com:

Like most homeowners, real estate agents are flooding our house with magnetic calendars this time of the year with their picture and contact information on the magnet. As I was about to throw away a 2007 calendar magnet, I stopped and wondered what I would use to hold up the two pictures that were behind the magnet on the refrigerator—and it dawned on me—use the magnet! I cut the pictures to fit the magnet, taped them on the front, and put it back on the refrigerator!  Saved the magnet from a landfill and now the pictures are easy to see!

Courtesy of Jan Hayner from OrganizingAndCleaning.com:

The rule for cleaning a room is that if you can do a particular job in less than 2 minutes, get it done! It will be one thing that you won’t have to do later. After all, what is 2 minutes?

What jobs can you do in under 2 minutes?

1. Wipe the sink and faucet
2. Sweep the floor
3. Take out the garbage
4. Make the bed
5. Throw dirty clothes into the hamper
6. Unload the dishwasher
7. Pick up the newspapers
8. Do a fast clutter pick up
9. Put things away in the bathroom
10. Clean the mirror
11. Hang up your jacket
12. Sort the mail
13. Check your calendar
14. Pick out clothes for the next day
15. Throw a load of laundry into the washer

The ideas are endless! Sure if you do more than one project, it is going to increase time, but look at all of the things you could do with 10 minutes to make your life easier.

Wow! How exciting! I have been invited to conduct a seminar at Babies “R” Us for moms-to-be and new moms!

What: “Organizing 101 for New Moms” Seminar
When: Tuesday, February 26th @ 7:00pm
Where: Babies “R” Us, Lexington, KY
Cost: Free!

The seminar will include tips on how to prepare for baby’s arrival, how to manage life with a newborn (and all the accompanying stuff), and how to adjust as baby grows and life continues to change.

I will share plenty of practical tips and ideas including:

• managing schedules,
• maintaining accurate records,
• storing clothes, toys, and other baby items,
• travelling with a little one (from shopping trips to long vacations), and
• cultivating your marriage and personal interests.

There will be plenty of free samples, door prizes, handouts, and ideas to take home! I can hardly wait! Hope to see you there!

BTW: If you attend the seminar, please stick around after the presentation to chat with me. Plus, mention my blog for a special bonus!