*** I’m currently reading a book about Feng Shui. Did you know that a dirty stove can make you tired and depressed? It can even make it harder for you to earn money. So, please clean your stove, and visualize improved income. I did and booked two clients!
*** Spring Organizing
Spring tends to be a busy month for homeowners. They spruce up, clean out, lighten up, and prepare for a summer of fun and sun. What do you do? Please share your spring organizing tips with me.
PS: What do you think of my caricature?
Hi,
Happy spring! Do you associate spring with tax time? I apologize if I just put that in your head. Would it help if I provided you with a tax preparation list?
The “T” word
What are you doing April 14th? Do you find yourself hunting and scrambling to find all the documents you may need to file your taxes? I created a list of all the documents my husband and I need to prepare our tax forms, which has made that process much easier. We file jointly and very simply, but I thought our list may be helpful to you.
Here it is: W2 forms Mortgage documents – form 1098 Investment documents – form 1099 Excise tax yearly bills Real estate tax yearly bills IRA documents – form 5498 Interest from bank account – form 1099 Medical documents Proof of health care insurance (MA residents) Value of donations made throughout the year
Below are the additional documents I need to include from my business: Estimated tax payments for the year – form 1040 Income total Expenses total – including the following category totals: donations, electric, food, Internet, marketing/advertising, membership dues, mileage, networking, office supplies, phone, postage, training, and travel
Never Ending TaskDid you know the one category that most of my clients want to address, even if it’s not the focus of our appointment? Organizing paper! Paper management is like dishes and laundry, a never ending task. Paper can accumulate and pile up so quickly that it leaves you scratching your head, wondering where it all came from. It helps if you create guidelines for yourself on what to keep, and for how long. If you’d like a list of my paper retention guidelines, please email me. I’d be happy to share my guidelines with you.
From,
Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652
If you’d like to share this email message with someone, please click on the Forward email button below. Thank you and happy organizing in the spring of 2014!
https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/15-Years-LOGO.jpg00Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/15-Years-LOGO.jpgJanine Cavanaugh, CPO®2014-04-04 16:59:452022-12-09 14:57:20Taxes & Paper Management
*** January 2014 marks my 6th year in business. Thank you for your support. I couldn’t have done it without you.
In those past 6 years, I’ve had 153 clients, of which 7 have been male, 136 have been female, and 10 have been couples.
Also in those past 6 years, I’ve given 70 presentations on organizing, and 797 individuals have attended those presentations.
In the coming year, I look forward to working with both new and existing clients, as well as present to individuals eager to learn what I have to share.
Thanks again for your support and please keep in touch
*** What is your favorite organizing product? Please share.
*** I’ve started blogging! Please check out my blog articles on my website.
*** Do you have a question on organizing that you’d like my advice or opinion on? If so, please ask, and if I think others would benefit from the question, I’ll post it on the ‘Question of the Month’ section on my website
PS: What do you think of my caricature?
Hi Janine,
Happy New Year! I hope that 2014 is off to a wonderful beginning for you and your family. If you’ve made any new year’s resolutions that involve organizing, please share them with me.
Get Organized Month
Did you know that January is Get Organized Month (GO Month)? Go Month was iniated by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). It’s an annual national public awareness campaign promoting the benefits of getting organized. On January 8, 2014 there was a presentation at the Massachusetts State House formally proclaiming January as Get Organized Massachusetts Month. How cool is that?Here are 2 local Go Month events:1. Organized Spaces Class by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO
Monday, January 13, 2014
6:30PM – 8:00PM
At the Learning Connection in Providence, RI
Pre-registration is required
FREE class pertaining to the 5 steps of organizing
2. Organizing Expo & Conference by NAPO-New England
Saturday, January 25, 2014
10:00AM – 4:00PM
At Boston/Waltham Embassy Suites
550 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Pre-registration is required for seminars
FREE seminars on a variety of organizing topics; Drop-off site for
donations and recycled products; An Expo hall of vendors with
organizing-related products and services.
Healthy Habits
Forming organizing habits helps us spend less time and energy maintaining order. Would you like to establish some organizing habits in 2014? If so, practice these:
1. Label where items belong and repeatedly put them back in the same spot.
2. Spend 5 minutes a day per room removing items from floors, desktops, counter tops, table tops, and other horizontal surfaces.
3. Toss junk mail immediately.
4. Don’t print emails, recipes, or other information from your computer. Instead create folders and file the information on your computer.
5. Stop stockpiling groceries, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Establish a maximum number to have on hand that allows breathing room in your cupboards.Please share any habits that have been successful for you.
Upcoming Classes
Organizing Solutions & Products
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Learning Connection, Providence, RI
7:00PM to 9:00PM
401-274-9330Organizing in 5 Steps
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Tri-County RVTHS, Franklin, MA
7:00PM to 9:00PM
508-528-5400 x126Organizing Paper
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Learning Connection, Providence, RI
7:00PM to 9:00PM
401-274-9330
For a complete list of my classes check my website.
From,
Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652
If you’d like to share this email message with someone, please click on the Forward email button below. Thank you and enjoy 2014!
*** With the holidays fast approaching I’d like to provide you with my list of consumable gift ideas. By giving gifts that can be used up, we are supporting a clutter-free holiday season.
*** What is your favorite organizing product? Please share.
*** I’ve started blogging! Please check out my blog articles on my website.
*** Do you have a question on organizing that you’d like my advice or opinion on? If so, please ask, and if I think others would benefit from the question, I’ll post it on the ‘Question of the Month’ section on my website
PS: What do you think of my caricature?
Hi Janine,
Happy Fall! The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and soon we’ll be gathering with family for the holidays. I’m looking forward to that, and I hope you are also. As many of you know, I come from a large family, and they’re often an inspiration to me in my organizing profession. Here are two stories that were inspired by my nieces.
Practice, Practice, Practice
My 7 year old niece has been asking if she could learn to play the piano for a while. Her parents decided to let her give it a go, and signed her up for piano lessons. Luckily for them, she loves it, and eagerly practices every day.The skill of organizing is similar to my niece learning to play the piano. Like her, you may be better off signing up for lessons with a professional instructor (me), or not. That is your call. But, definitely, you’ll need to practice every day in order to see any improvement. Also, just as my niece needs to repeat her lessons until she has mastered them, you’ll need to repeat your organizing tasks until you’ve mastered them.
Would you like some organizing instructions and lessons? If yes, please email me.
Putting Away
My almost 3 year old niece is a different story. She’s a little rascal. One of her favorite activities is to dump. Just recently, she dumped all the clean, folded clothes out of the laundry basket. Dumping is fun and easy. It’s the putting away that’s the hard part.
As adults, we may not dump things out, but we certainly take things out of cupboards, closets, and drawers. We remove things from our purse, wallet, or work bag. Let’s face it, our days are spent taking things out and putting things away.
Are you asking, what does this have to do with organizing? Well, the key to staying organized is to put things back in the same place again, and again, and again.
Are you good at dumping? Need help putting away? If yes, let’s talk!
For a complete list of my classes check my website.
From,
Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652
If you’d like to share this email message with someone, please click on the Forward email button below. Thank you and enjoy the remainder of your fall!
Side Notes:*** I’m happy to report that I’ve been in two local newspapers since my last newsletter. I was interviewed for an article in the Valley Breeze special spring edition in April 2013, and for the Sun Chronicle Living Well section, July 9, 2013 issue.
*** I was also a guest with Jay Rogers on SoMa Radio, a local cable radio show at AM 1320 WARL in Attleboro, MA. My show aired on Wednesday, July 12, 2013.
*** I’ve started blogging! Please check out my blog articles on my website.
*** Do you have a question on organizing that you’d like my advice or opinion on? If so, please ask, and if I think others would benefit from the question, I’ll post it on the ‘Question of the Month’ section on my website
PS: What do you think of my caricature?
Hi Janine,
Happy Summer! I hope you’re able to take advantage of the wonderful summer weather and the relaxed environment the summer creates. Especially since the mad rush for back to school will be in full swing soon. I have a few back to school tips for those who are interested, look on my website.
Legos & Labels
Were you able to get away this summer? I was fortunate enough to take a summer vacation. My husband and I went to 3 different spots in Missouri, and while on the plane I read an article about David Beckham. Did you know he’s really into Legos? While reading I was reminded of a client of mine. I helped her organize her son’s room and his large Lego collection. He liked them sorted by theme, so we put different themes into different containers. That action would have been futile unless we labeled them. We labeled the containers in two ways, with words and stickers that related to the themes. Labeling is an important part of organizing, because it clearly indicates where an item belongs, and reinforces where an item needs to be returned. Labeling is also helpful when more than one person is using an item. Do you think David Beckham let’s his son’s play with his Legos?If you’d like some assistance with using labels to help you stay organized, please email me.
To Do Lists
I’m a list person. I like creating lists and marking off what I’ve completed. It leaves me with a real sense of accomplishment. What about you? However, one important part of creating a to do list is to prioritize the list. This crucial step helps me concentrate on what’s important, but not forget all the rest. Although, I’m a paper and pen list maker, most people are going digital now-a-days. If you’re one of them, here are a few websites to assist you with your list making: Mind Tools,Toodledo, Basecamp.
For a complete list of my classes check my website.
From,
Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652
https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/images.jpeg176286Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/15-Years-LOGO.jpgJanine Cavanaugh, CPO®2013-08-01 02:12:392022-12-12 17:45:05Legos & Labels and To Do Lists
I wanted to share some eco-friendly habits that I’ve personally initiated in the past few years. I added them gradually to my life, so they didn’t seem drastic or overwhelming. Maybe you’ve done the same or something similar. Please share. If you’d like more details, please just ask.
Eco-Friendly Habits:
1. Recycle more – it’s so easy to do, especially since my town offers all-in-one curbside weekly
3. Stopped buying paper napkins. Instead I use cloth napkins. My nieces and nephews love it, and it’s usually their first exposure to cloth napkins.
4. Use reusable shopping bags more often. I used to just use them at the grocery store. Now I use them everywhere, when I remember, but the more I do it the more I remember.
5. Use reusable produce bags.
6. Stopped buying saran wrap. Hate the stuff. Instead I use my reusable produce bags.
7. Started a compost bin. I purchased it from my town hall.
8. Use rain barrels. I also purchased them from my town hall.
9. Use the water that collects in my de-humidifier to water my plants.
10. Use on-line bill pay and went paperless with as many bills and statements that I could.
Some times it’s the little things that have the most impact.
https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/15-Years-LOGO.jpg00Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/15-Years-LOGO.jpgJanine Cavanaugh, CPO®2013-04-01 02:12:012022-12-09 14:55:58Happy Earth Day
*** I’ve started blogging! Please check out my 
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