According to the National Retail Federation, the average person will spend over $100 on Valentine’s Day gifts this year. Instead of exchanging items that come in a box, here are some ideas for presents that don’t take up a lot of space or create clutter (some are even eco-friendly!):

• Instead of the cute teddy bear, get a box of gourmet chocolates – don’t forget to recycle the packaging
• Pamper your special someone with a spa gift certificate rather than buying candles and soaps
• Donate to a worthy cause such as the American Heart Association in the name of a loved one
• Tie on your apron - serve breakfast in bed or bake cookies or muffins as yummy gifts
• Be traditional – flowers are always a beautiful treat, and there are many florists now who sell bouquets that come from organic farms using sustainable practices

For friends, family or even coworkers, the Innovatively Organized Gift Certificate is an ideal gift for anyone who needs some special organizing attention.  It’s also a great way to show support for those New Year’s resolutions for being more productive and less stressed in 2010!

Order an organizing Gift Certificate now!

Or email us at info@innovativelyorganized.com directly.

I was recently quoted by Yahoo! in an article about how to help busy professionals save time and what kinds of gifts they may want for the holidays. Click here to read the full article, “6 Time-Saver Gifts for Busy Professionals”.

With time being such a precious commodity, my clients are always asking me how they can improve productivity and make more time.  One of my top recommendations is to utilize the timer on the coffee maker.  The average adult spends up to 15 minutes each day getting their morning caffeine fix – do you know how many minutes per week you could save by waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee at home?

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When it comes to holiday shopping, as a professional organizer, my biggest tip is to buy consumable gifts. I’m not just talking about things that are edible, although chocolate and home-baked goods are definitely on the list! I’m referring to things that don’t take up any permanent space or add clutter to a room. Here’s a list of my favorite consumable gifts:

• Concert or theater tickets
• Restaurant gift certificates
• Movie passes
• Bottle of wine and tickets for wine-tasting
• Spa or massage gift certificate
• Local tour passes about history or architecture
• Airline travel vouchers
• Gourmet food basket
• Home-baked goodies or confections

Regifting is a topic I blogged about last year, and it’s still a great idea, especially since many of us are focused on being frugal and green this year.

What is my definition of regifting? It’s breathing new life and purpose into something that you’ve received in the past by wrapping it and giving it as a present to a friend, coworker or family member. The receiver never has to know that it wasn’t purchased specifically with them in mind. As long as the gift is thoughtful and is a fit for the recipient, it’s a wonderful way to clear your space and spread holiday cheer. There’s even a National Regifting Day – December 17th. Mark your calendars!

Regifting is not about giving away an item that you consider to be worthless or junk. That is called “clutter passing.” The only appropriate places for those items are donation centers, recycling bins, or the trash.

To learn more about regifting and how to throw a regifting party, check out this website.

Book a 3 hour organizing session – receive a 4th hour free!

Cross one more thing off your growing to-do list this holiday season.  Let us help make your holidays less stressful and more organized!  Whether you need a little extra help at HOME creating your shopping list, mailing holiday cards, preparing your spare room for guests, or at WORK to ensure you meet a year-end deadline, finish up a project on-time, or simply get your time, desk, paper, or email under control so you can leave work at a reasonable hour, WE CAN HELP!  Schedule a quick “jump start” session today!

Call 206.494.9822 or Contact Us to book your next organizing session and mention this special offer!

Mention Promo Code: HOLIDAY2009
Limit one per customer. Good only in the Greater Seattle area.  Offer expires December 15, 2009.

With friends, family and festivities, there will be lots of picture taking in the coming weeks. Be prepared by having your camera readily accessible and fully charged. Also, keep extra batteries or the charger in the camera bag and place it by the front door so you don’t forget it on the way to parties and holiday activities.

Now is the perfect time to set up a system for your pictures so you can share them right away at the end of the season. For digital photos, here are a few of my favorite online sites that let you upload the photos and gives your family and friends the opportunity of getting their own prints.

• Shutterfly
• Snapfish
• Flickr
• Picasa

If you use a camera with film, drop off the rolls at a one hour development shop and make sure to pick them up right away so they don’t pile up. Label and store the photos in chronological order for now and you can quickly sort through them later.

Here’s a simple and efficient way to keep your fragile holiday décor safe from one year to the next.  This product features adjustable dividers to hold up to 80 ornaments of various sizes and the fabric lined trays protect them from scratches or getting smashed.

Remember, organized storage is key to helping make holiday “set up” and “tear down” easier every year!

Click here to learn more.

It’s almost Halloween which means Thanksgiving and all the other holidays this winter are closely following! Here are a few tips to keep your decorations organized as you begin adding holiday touches in the next couple of months.

• Color-code – It’s easy to identify which decorations are where if you have everything for one holiday or season in color-coded bins. For example, a green bin might be just for Christmas and an orange bin could be for Halloween.
• Label, label, label – Clearly label everything! Along with the name of the season, event or holiday, don’t forget to label things as ‘fragile’ or ‘this side up’ to avoid breaking things or stacking things inappropriately.
• Take a photo – This year, when you have all the decorations up, take a photo of the room or tree or yard and put it with the box of decorations. It will be so much easier to see what you have and how to set it up again.
• Keep or donate – Are there any old or broken ornaments or lights that don’t work in your pile of decorations? Get rid of it! Now is the time to donate or throw away holiday items that you don’t love or don’t use.
• Extend the life of your wrapping paper – It’s tempting to buy several rolls of holiday wrap with cute patterns, but if you buy a few solid colors, it will last you longer and provide more uses throughout the year. Store all your paper, ribbons, scissors and tape together in under-the-bed or vertical containers made for gift wrap so you don’t have to go hunting for items when you’re ready to wrap.

It’s about time to start putting away your holiday decorations and begin cleaning up your space to make room for the new year.  But before you pack up all of those decorative items that you so carefully arranged just a month ago, pause for a moment to take a quick photo to preserve the image for next year.  Be sure to take photos of each room or decorated area to jog your memory next holiday season.  Whether you print the photos or save them on your hard drive, be sure to label them appropriately and store them in a place that you’ll be able to find them a year from now.

Once you’ve done this, you can start breaking down your masterpiece and store the decorations.  As you are cleaning up, consider whether you should get rid of holiday decorations that you didn’t use this year.  Don’t take up valuable space in your home by storing unused items for another year.  As always, be sure to label each container of items you decide to keep.  You’ll be all set to decorate easily next time!