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Wrangling Donation Resources

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Wrangling donation resources can feel like a huge hassle. Getting organized isn’t just about purging but it certainly helps to motivate us when we know the stuff we no longer need is going someplace it is needed and will be loved.

For some people getting stuff out of the house as soon as a decision is made to part with it is essential (lest you dive back into your own give away bin to take stuff back out!).Have a plan for when and where you want to haul your donations before you begin so they don’t sit around your home or car, tempting you to keep things.

So that you don’t fall into that trap I want to share some of my favorite convenient resources for donations. Some of these are local to the region I live and work in, some are national (with local or virtual options).

Choosing who to donate to…

This can be a challenge for some people, others really don’t care as long as it’s GONE! Some considerations to keep in mind when donating to any non-profit.

Will my donation end up in the hands of someone who can actually use it?
How much $ goes directly to the charity versus overhead/operations?
What are the causes I feel passionate about (pets, homeless, children, housing etc)?

With the above in mind here are some Donation resources for you to consider, the important thing is to make a connection between your passions and those in need. Think creatively and determine where your goods will do the most GOOD!

National: Donation Town, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Fema and Purple Heart

Pet Causes: ASPCA Local Shelters, Pet Consignments like Animal Helpers ReTail here in Charleston (proceeds split between two shelters)

Other Special Causes: Local Homeless Shelters like 180 Place here in Charleston, Schools and Teachers Supply Closet in Charleston (specific teachers or counties offer school drives), Libraries & their book sales, Orphanages like Low Country Orphan Relief here in Charleston, various Churches, Missions and other community or spiritual centers.

When possible, take a picture and list “In Kind” items being donated if you would like to write them off for tax purposes. It’s important to include your full name and contact info, the date and a clear description of each item and the condition they are in. More information about donation receipts can be found here.

It is ultimately up to the donor (you) to assign a dollar value to your donation.

You can determine basic values for clothing and household items using this simple Donation Calculator spreadsheet, or there are programs that will help you do this and include the deductions in your annual tax filing.

When you are ready to donate items, where are your favorite places to go? Do a little homework for national organizations at Charity Navigator so that you can be sure your efforts are gong directly where you hope!

Life had other plans for the end of 2017…

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Well folks, here we are at the tail end of the year! I had planned to be in full on vacation mode but life had other plans for me this week. It’s been a week of vacation and technology fail:( I had big plans for how I was going to wrap up 2017, with lots of planning, blog writing, relaxation etc…

I had a big technology fail…ughh! It could have been worse but it’s frustrating as you can imagine. I’ve blogged about different planner systems in the past and have recently brought on an assistant so I knew that my old paper planner system would no longer work for a team. I embraced (maybe a bit reluctantly?) a new system but this week it failed me and I thought this might be an opportunity to share how this makes me feel.

I often ask clients to try to adopt a new system and it can be hard, annoying, frustrating-EXASPERATING! There are moments where we feel we are getting the hang of something new and BOOM, something happens and we just want to go back to that sweet spot of how it use to be.

Once we embrace the growth process there is no going back, there’s only learning, improving and moving forward in a new direction.

This is what I discovered when my new system failed. I learned that I made a simple mistake that can be avoided next time. I learned that I have to plan for the unexpected, because it always happens! When this happens at an otherwise stressful time of life it can be doubly challenging. When life throws you a curveball, how do you respond?

As I sat here writing this post I got an email from a friend about a big change that she didn’t expect. I witnessed how she chose to respond, in transparency, in gratitued and in grace. I’m certain she has had moments of anger, frustration, fear, sadness and more but…

When we are forced or fearless enough to leap, sometimes we land in places greater than we ever expected!

I choose to respond by putting people above my frustrations, doing what I could then walking away and enjoying company. I knew I would eventually piece what I needed back together, despite the embarrassment (because, yes…it involved my client scheduling!!). I choose to respond as much as possible with grace and calm. Don’t get me wrong, I had my moment of freak out but I kept it to myself, until now…I’m bearing my soul here, sharing that even Organizers are far from perfect, we need help at times and we all make mistakes, especially as we are growing!

As my business grows I’m sure, in fact I HOPE I’ll make many more mistakes! The most important lesson is how I choose to respond, not what happened or how I can avoid or fix it next time.

Can you share a time where learning something new created frustration, fear or a sense of failure as you worked through the growing pains of change?

Planner Roundup and Review

by Filed Under: Paper management, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized 1 Comment

I have used so many types of planners that I thought it might be helpful for me to share my planner roundup and review of what I’ve learned over the years. This is only a review of planners I have personally used or used with clients. Each of us needs to use a system that supports productivity and keeping track of scheduled appointments and sometimes tasks. If you have tried and failed or are not sure what to try, this will give you some ideas of where to start. And remember, if you’re not using a planner of some sort you’re using your brain as a storage device.

Your Brain is Not a Storage Device!I use my planner for appointments, tasks and goals. Some of you may only use a planner for appointments or may use a combination of two systems. Using more than one planner system can work for some people, just like using a paper planner may be best for some and digital works better for others. There are a lot of options to choose from so hang in there as I run through some of my favorite Planners in review here.

Paper vs Digital, I’ve used both and still do to some degree. I am finding a return to paper planners all over these days. There are a lot of tech savvy people who love paper planners and there are others who don’t want to carry anything additional around with them. Making a decision about paper or digital is personal and should be based on several factors including:

How tech savvy are you?
What’s your lifestyle and schedule…do you forget things easily?
Do you love the feel of a paper book and love writing by hand?
Who do you need to share events with (family members, work team etc)?
Did you learn any planner techniques that have stuck with you? If so can you build on those systems?

My Planner Use Timeline…A Planner Roundup and Review of 6 Systems

I started using the Franklin Covey system when I was in High School and learned some pretty awesome skills for productivity, setting goals and planning my time. The Franklin system was developed by Stephen Covey author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I primarily used this system in my later years of High School and college in an effort to become a better student and develop leadership skills and many of these skills and techniques have stuck with me! There are several sizes and styles of Franklin planners and they are beautifully made and can be specifically tailored to your needs. Take the quiz to learn your Franklin planner style here. I honestly think all planners in a way were born from the Franklin system…but that’s not based on scientific study:)

I eventually downsized from the Franklin system (I found it a bit too bulky) and incorporated a more simplified and some may say Sexy version of goal setting and time management with my Filofax. I confess that a good part of my choice to switch had to do with the aesthetics of the simple and sophisticated looking Filofax. I used this system from college into early professional years and this system, like the Franklin predated digital calendars and planners. I incorporated some of the goal setting skills and time management skills I learned from Franklin Covey into my Filofax use…I had a good foundation in place and felt I could easily create my own goals without as many specific prompts.

Along comes the digital world…I flirted with, tried and used Outlook, Google Calendars and other calendars for awhile (probably a good 10 year period) but found that with digital calendar systems I was not capturing my goals as well as I did when I used a paper planner. What I love about digital systems is that they can be entered and shared via multiple devices or people and are available anywhere via access to that digital account. I still use Google calendars for certain things…I’ll explain in more detail below.

I finally returned to a paper planner in the past 7 or so years because I felt the need to see my goals broken down into specific measurable tasks that I could assign daily, weekly, monthly alongside my appointments…on paper. I tried to use the Filofax system but didn’t like how bulky it felt, it was more than I needed. I downsized to a small Moleskine and started learning about Bullet Journaling since there is little structure to the Moleskine system. I don’t feel the need for as much guided structure now since I have years of experience using more other systems.

A few years ago I decided to try Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map Planner which at that time was similar in size and structure to a medium size Moleskine but with some of her wisdom about Core Desired Feelings and Truth Bombs sprinkled through to keep my goals focused on the bigger picture of how I want to live my life with intention. I eventually went back to the Moleskine system two years ago and will probably stick with that again next year BUT I will be giving away two Desire Map Planners between October and December! Her new planners are beautiful, spiral bound, full of inspiring and motivating prompts and a wonderful tool for anyone who doesn’t need to take their planner everywhere or doesn’t mind something a bit more bulky (the primary reasons I won’t be using them but wish I could!). Follow me over on my Facebook Page and Instagram to learn more about the planner giveaway and share with your friends!

A hybrid system that works for me…I am currently and plan to continue to use a bit of a hybrid system with both my Moleskine (week at a glance medium size) and Google Calendars. I use digital calendars for shared and recurring events and I use my paper planner, with PENCIL-always pencil, for appointments and personal/business goals. I incorporate some Bullet Journal techniques (some of the symbols and color coding) because I like the creative aspect of the system. Some people create works of art with their Bullet Journals! I don’t quite go that far:)

A last note about using digital calendars. I love the color coding and sharing features of Google Calendars and have pretty much used this digital system exclusively. I use the digital format whenever I purchase event tickets and want the info to be available on my device. I also jot a note of the time in my paper calendar-some people might not want to do this duplication! I use color coding to keep track of larger goals for my business like blog themes, newsletter publication and recurring volunteer/meetings. The format is pretty intuitive to use, there are lots of tutorials available and it’s an app that can be downloaded to almost any device. It’s also compatible with iCal (which has some similar features). I’ve worked with clients to use iCal but in my opinion it’s not the best tool for goal setting or tasks, only for setting appointments and events.

So, currently a hybrid system (mostly paper with recurring events digtal) is what works for me! I have shared this technique with others and they have adopted their own variation of a hybrid system. I’ve long wished that someone would come out with a paper calendar that captures everything digitally and it seems that Moleskin will be doing this in 2018, I’ll be giving that a try!

What planner systems have you used, what’s worked and what has not? Please tell me your favorites and don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about the Desire Map Planner Giveaway’s!

Photo Organizing Old-School Style

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized 2 Comments

I had someone ask me to cover the topic of Photo Organizing this month so here we go! I have never gone too far into this subject here on my blog because it’s quite a HEFTY topic to cover in one post. Here are the basic’s for paper photo organizing systems, I’ll return to cover digital photo organizing another time. It’s helpful to know before you begin if you will be doing this yourself or hiring help. There is an entire trade organization, APPO, dedicated to Photo Organizing!Most of us want to keep at least some photo’s to look at in frames, albums or loosely. But we don’t get to enjoy the photo’s we love because they are in a big jumble with the one’s we don’t care about, the duplicates, damaged photo’s and photos of people you have no clue about!

Chances are that at some point you will be inheriting old photo’s if you haven’t already.

To Digitize or Not? Since many of us don’t print photo’s anymore, at least we know the quantity of printed photo’s isn’t growing exponentially! If you’re someone who still prints photo’s, stop doing that until you have a great system in place. You may also want to digitize your photo’s but it’s best to sort and purge what you don’t want first, deciding what you want digitized as you go. If you’re beginning this process with the thought of digitizing, you may want to buy a package for this service. Companies like Legacy Box send you a box that you can fill, return and have scanned. The box is returned within 1-3weeks with original photo’s as well as your digital photo’s (on a CD).

Gather all your photo’s into one area to work on. This can be a fun project to work on when your Binge watching a favorite series:) Before you begin, have a method to sort photos into such as file folders, shoe boxes, large envelopes, plastic bags etc.Label with temporary labels to keep track of what you have sorted, eventually permanent labels will be attached to bins or albums.

Handling…if you have very old, fragile or valuable photo’s you may want to wear lint free cotton gloves while working on photo’s to keep oils and moisture from damaging them. You can also wipe the photo’s gently as you go. If you find photo’s stuck in albums, don’t force them. Try prying up a corner with something like a flat spatula and dental floss! The floss can be used to “saw” the under side of the photo from the adhesive backing. If you still can’t get it, set it aside and get professional help. Don’t write directly on the backs of photo’s with anything other than an archival pen, I like these.Sort photo’s chronologically and/or by event or person. Your system may be some combination of these. As you start the process of sorting and purging, think about other family members or friends who you might want to send photo’s to and set them aside (labeled) to give them when you’re done. If you’re not sure who someone is, snap photo’s of the photo’s as you go and text or email someone who might be able to help you ID them. It can be fun to share “vintage” photo’s with family and friends as you go! Keep track of what size the majority of your photo’s are and if you plan to organize into albums or boxes, this will be important to know.

Storage can be decided on once you have finished sorting and you know what size collection you have. If you plan to digitize, send the photo’s off at this point. Do your research before you buy storage containers. Look for Archival quality boxes and albums. If your photo’s are standard 4×6 or 5×7 you will have a lot of options to choose from. Remember that larger boxes will get very heavy. Use archival paper dividers to further separate photo’s by category or date and label the cards with detailed information about events, family members etc. Don’t use sticky notes or clips that can damage the surface of original photo’s. If you have negatives that correspond to the photo’s you are keeping, label the plastic sleeves they come in to correspond to the storage system you are creating and store negatives separately. Keep your photo’s in climate controlled, low humidity and light conditions to best preserve them.Cross reference storage-Note in your photo box what negatives and digital photo’s you have copies of and where they are stored (on CD’s, cloud, external hard drive, separate bins etc).

Maintain your system on a regular basis if you are adding to your paper photo collection or if you inherit photo’s. I’ll share tips for organizing your digital photo’s in a later post. This is a great time of year to work on photo organizing and perhaps create some beautiful books with some of the old and new photo’s you come across. Have fun traveling down memory lane!

Should I go digital?

by Filed Under: Digital Organizing, Organize, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Have you started to go digital with some, or all of your “paperwork”? This is a subject I encounter a lot when working on paper clutter. Some people are totally digital and do almost everything on their computer, phone etc…others are totally uncomfortable and will never let go of the paper! Most of us fall somewhere in between.

If you are ready to go digital, read on to learn how to make this transition.

If you’re still a little tentative, that’s okay. You can dip your toes in the water and acclimate as you go.

Let’s start with a little test to see how comfortable you are will the world of technology. See how many of the following you answer yes to.

I love reading books on my kindle or another electronic reader.
I do more online shopping than in stores.
I have set up online account access to my banks, utilities and other accounts I use frequently.
I hate paperwork, it’s piling up everywhere!
I use a digital calendar (on my phone or computer or both).
I check my emails regularly (more than once a day).
I use social media like Facebook, Twitter etc.
I read blogs or other media online to stay informed and connected.

Digital Novice or Paperless Pro? Where do you fall in the Tech Savvy Spectrum?

If you answered yes to 3-5 of these then you are definitely ready to go digital, at least partially!

The most frequent question or concern I get about going digital is the issue of security. There is no foolproof system and your personal information could be stolen via an online source you are not even aware of or at a restaurant or via a piece of mail. Assessing your adversity to risk will help you determine which accounts you are more comfortable with going digital. Large financial institutions and municipal utility companies have systems in place to protect your identity, but again, there is no such thing as absolutely safe! The great thing about going digital is that if you do encounter a problem with your account security, you will be aware of it and be able to respond to it more quickly! That’s often the best defense!

Where to start? Based on your answers to the questions above, pick one or two areas to add to your “digital” workspace.

In general the process of going digital will work something like this:

Go to the business website, create an online account and save your username and password in a secure location.
Go through a “tutorial” or just click around until you are familiar with the basic layout of the pages. Look for “tabs” or hyperlinks that will help you navigate the different menus and tools.
Find your profile and settings. Often they are near one another and settings sometimes look like a little gear wheel. Check your personal information in your profile to be sure it’s all correct.
“Go paperless”-this is usually under settings and you can choose all or nothing depending on the company.
Check your email and “verify” your account (sometimes you must do this before you can even log in and navigate around).
Check your account regularly and download statements or pay bills online. In some cases you can set up a bank account to do this, in other cases (financial institutions) you can link utilities and other bills to be paid to your checking or savings accounts.

For help with setting up online accounts there will be specific resources available for each situation. In general, most banks, financial firms, utilities and phone companies probably already send you “go paperless” inserts in your snail mail. If you have one of those handy, that’s a great place to start! I hope this simple guide will help you to determine if your ready to go digital. Try setting up a digital account or two to help reduce the paper clutter in your home or office. Once you’ve transformed your paper clutter to digital, keep you digital files organized with my helpful guide to creating a digital file structure.