Organize and More

Spend less time on email by using tips from the Email Charter .  One example is using only the subject line of an email if your message contains less than six words.  I first learned about that  years ago when I was interviewed frequently by an editor of a newspaper.  She would type short comments or questions for me in the subject line, followed by “Cheers” and her name.  I knew when I saw that pattern in the subject line, there was no need for me to open the email because her message was completely contained within the subject line.  It saved me alot of time and I appreciated that. The Email Charter suggests using “EOM” at the end of the subject title, which means End of Message, to signify there is no need to open up the email body.  Try it and see how you like it!

The Email Charter was started after a blog post by TED Curator Chris Anderson and TED Scribe Jane Wulf was read by 45,000 people. Since so many are drowning in email, it might be worth a few minutes reading about it.  If you enjoy it, let me know.

Linda Richards, CPO-CD, joins NAPO SL-CIF with “Get Organized Utah” helping the YWCA develop effective organizing systems for their clothing, toys, etc. that are donated to support the YWCA service to 11,000 local women and children yearly. Each year NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) encourages its chapters to give back to the community. Linda enjoyed joining other professional organizers in the NAPO Salt Lake Chapter in Formation do just that in April 2012.

Power outages tips for homes is a topic on the minds of many who live in Centerville, Bountiful, Kaysville, Layton and surrounding areas in Utah after an extreme wind storm caused damage in those areas yesterday with approximately 100 mph winds.

Since I am a member of the National Emergency Coalition, I like to pass along useful info about getting prepared and dealing with emergencies, thus I wanted to share an informative article titled “How to Survive a Night without Power” from KSL.com. Some examples are to turn your front porch light on, which helps utility workers see at a glance if power has or has not been restored to your neighborhood. Also, with your car outside the garage, you can recharge your cell phone long enough to make important calls while you briefly warm up in the car (and I would add, you’ll be glad you had previously purchased a cell phone car adapter for this purpose!).

Power outages can happen unexpectedly thus I always encourage my clients, neighbors and friends to get prepared while the sun is shining and life is calm; you’ll appreciate those efforts if and when the storms roll in.

Linda Richards, owner of Organize and More, has moved her professional organizing business to Utah. She will continue to serve her Florida clients via virtual services and looks forward to servicing new clients in Salt Lake City, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Sandy, Draper and neighboring areas.

After working as a professional organizer in Florida for 10 years (& living in the state for a total of 24 years), she is sad to say goodbye to the Sunshine State but very excited to reconnect with the Beehive State!

Linda Richards is teaching a new “Dealing with Hoarding” class through Santa Fe Community College on Thursday February 3, 2011 from 7:00-8:00pm at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. Please register through SFC’s Community Education program (352-395-5193) or register online using the search word ‘hoard”.

If you have seen the various TV shows about hoarders, you might be curious about why people hoard. Basic info will be shared about how hoarders think and some resources that can be useful to hoarders and their families.

A Faux Hurricane Party article by Linda Richards was reported in The Gainesville Sun.

I suggested a fun way to invite your neighbors over in order to practice going through an emergency together. Read about it here and start thinking about having your neighbors over soon for an impromptu ‘faux’ emergency party. It’s a party they’ll never forget!

Emergency preparedness Americans with Disabilities video is filled with useful information for you or your loved one. Any American would benefit from getting organized before an emergency occurs, such as the evacuations we Floridians sometimes experience due to an impending hurricane, but those with special needs especially benefit from taking a little bit of time now, to avoid frustration and discomfort later. Get a piece of paper handy so that you can take notes while you watch the video below.