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Getting better at organizing takes practice

February 1, 2024/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

If you wanted to learn to play the guitar, what would you do? Would you look into taking lessons? How often would you practice? Would you expect to get better with only a few attempts? My guess is that you’d tell yourself to practice, practice, practice. Well, organizing is a skill, just like playing the guitar. You’ll make progress and get better at it with practice. I’d recommend practicing organizing for at least 10 minutes every day.

For some ideas on how to practice and improve your organizing skills look at these articles:

  • 20 Projects you can do in 20 minutes
  • How many do you need?
  • Clutter aerobics
https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/guitar.jpeg 290 174 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/18-Years-LOGO.jpg Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®2024-02-01 01:42:362024-02-08 20:56:03Getting better at organizing takes practice

Less is more in 2024

January 5, 2024/0 Comments/in Newsletter/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Happy New Year!
Wishing you an organized, productive, and joyful year. What do you have planned for 2024? Do you make new year’s intentions, resolutions, or goals? Here are a few of mine.

Read more
https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Serving-clients-since-2008.png 315 851 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/18-Years-LOGO.jpg Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®2024-01-05 16:54:202024-04-03 17:23:27Less is more in 2024
home happy

Value space over stuff

January 1, 2024/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Our stuff has a value, but so does the space it occupies. Which is more important, space or stuff? I know it will  depend on the item, but as a general rule, I’d recommend placing a higher value on our spaces rather than on our stuff.

  • Let’s value clear kitchen counters that allow us the space to cook with and for our families, verses counters piled up with appliances, gadgets, mail, and groceries?
  • Let’s value a walk in closet that we can actually walk into and maintain with ease, verses a trendy new outfit every week.
  • Let’s value an uncluttered desk that fosters productivity, verses one piled high with papers, mail, office supplies and tech items.
https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/happy-home.jpg 394 590 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/18-Years-LOGO.jpg Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®2024-01-01 01:47:292024-02-08 20:57:45Value space over stuff
box of books

Donate books

December 1, 2023/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Books are a great donation and accepted at many resale shops, like Goodwill, Savers, and Salvation Army. Some libraries may take them to resell also, but I recommend calling before loading them into your car.

Depending on what type of books they are you can donate to senior centers, daycare centers, nursing homes, or hospitals, but again, call first to confirm their interest.

Here are three websites to check out:
More Than Words

Operation Paperback

Prison Book Program

One word of caution, no one really wants old text books or encyclopedias. An option is to offer them to theater companies who may like them for props.

https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/books.jpg 467 700 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/18-Years-LOGO.jpg Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®2023-12-01 01:02:112025-10-16 17:07:31Donate books
old tech

Donating Media

November 15, 2023/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Have you ever wondered if your old VHS tapes had any value? Are you holding on to CDs, but no longer have a player? Do you want to donate DVDs, but aren’t sure where to do so? Well, you’re not alone. I get asked these questions all the time.

Here are a few suggestions for you.

  • CDs and DVDs can still be donated to Goodwill and Savers. Donate them if they’re in good condition with no scratches, in their original case. If they are scratched, consider donating them to an art school, an up-cycle artist, or crafter.
  • Most VHS tapes are not accepted for donation, but some are still donate-able, especially Disney. Call Goodwill, Savers or Salvation Army before donating them to see if they’re interested in the ones you want to get rid of. If you’re ambitions and want to do some on-line research you may be able to sell some old VHS tapes. They can be sold on-line via Facebook Yard sale, Ebay, or other avenues.
  • However, no resale stores take cassette tapes. You can offer them up for free on-line via Freecycle or Buy Nothing, but if you don’t want to put in the effort, they just go in the trash.

Call your local Staples or Best Buy store to see if they’ll recycle any of these items. I know the Staples in Attleboro recycles CDs and DVDs. Please recycle.

https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Vhs-cds-cassetts.png 380 672 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® https://helpfulorganizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/18-Years-LOGO.jpg Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®2023-11-15 17:27:072025-01-07 17:44:23Donating Media
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