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Organize This! by Vali Heist

Practical tips and ruminations about your CRAP

My blog is entitled 'Organize This!'. I will blog about everything organizing and ruminate about the world of CRAP. CRAP stands for Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure. If it's not useful or not beautiful or doesn't bring you joy, it's CRAP!

Latest Posts:


Select the Time Management Tools that Work for You When I was a young child, I loved back-to-school time because I couldn’t wait to get new school supplies: ahhh, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils! Even now, I look forward to buying the next year’s day planner pages as the year comes to a close. I use my day planner for scheduling, a 5x7 wire tablet to take messages and make notes, and my iPhone for contacts and everything else; the combination of paper and electronics serve as my time management tools. ... Read more... posted on: 10/20/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

Perfectionism can be a Cause of Disorganization This summer has been busy for this organizer. Many of my clients use the summer months to catch up on projects that they can’t find time to tackle during the school year. One of the biggest challenges is the mountain of paper: snail mail from the mailbox, paper printed from the computer, paperwork from children’s schools, and paperwork for elderly parents. They struggle with whether to keep it or not and if they keep it, how and where should it be kept in order to find it when it’s needed? The reason to keep any paperwork is because you will need or want to refer to it in the future.... Read more... posted on: 10/13/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

Call a Professional to Get Questions Answered I love the variety that comes with each day of being a Professional Organizer. Whether I’m helping a client unclutter, downsize, or clean out a home, it’s such a good feeling to assist clients in following through on projects so they can move ahead with their lives. Very often, clients are in need of another service to help them complete a project or move forward with organizing. If I am unable to provide that service, I can provide a long list of resources that should be able to help them out. One of my clients calls this referral list “One-Stop Shopping”. ... Read more... posted on: 10/6/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

New Beginnings! I'm not scared of change. I usually welcome it as a challenge! But when it involves technology, I know it's going to take hours of time to make any changes. For example, my old eNewsletter provider got out of the business of e-mail marketing, so I'm starting over with Constant Contact. It's still a work in progress and I'll continue to tweak it until I get it just right.... Read more... posted on: 9/29/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

Technology Changes can be Difficult I'm not scared of change. I usually welcome it as a challenge! But when it involves technology, I know it's going to take hours of time to make any changes. For example, my old eNewsletter provider got out of the business of e-mail marketing, so I'm starting over with Constant Contact. It's still a work in progress and I'll continue to tweak it until I get it just right.... Read more... posted on: 9/29/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

Have you Organized your Cloud Technology? I recently attended a seminar on cloud technology with the Greater Philadelphia Professional Organizers. I was fairly sure we were going to learn about the Internet and not about cumulus clouds. What I wasn’t sure about was how it all worked. Cloud technology allows the users of software and apps (Facebook, Gmail, Skype, blogs, etc.) to access data wherever it’s needed. Most of us still use some version of Microsoft Office or Quickbooks on our computers, but even those are being offered online or in the “clouds”. The transition from a “personal” computer to a world where resources are shared among the multitudes is slowly becoming the norm.... Read more... posted on: 9/22/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

CRAP is Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure When you are having friends over for dinner, how long does it take to get ready? Maybe the bigger question is “Why does it take company for you to clear away the clutter?” When uncluttering your home becomes a priority, it can be an arduous process that could take weeks and months to do a thorough job. But getting organized physically means first getting organized mentally. Mental clutter can hold us back from organizing our physical spaces and from staying organized. When you clear the clutter from your mind, you set goals and boundaries for what you want your life to look like as you go forward. When you have your priorities straight, then you can clear the clutter from your home and physically let go of things you don’t need, won’t use, or don’t even like anymore.... Read more... posted on: 9/8/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

The Lorax has a message for all of us I just finished the trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. What a great ride! I'm sad when I finish a good book because I come to the realization that I'll never read about these people again and I'll miss the characters. And speaking about finishing a book, I have sent my first book to the publisher! The title is "Organize This! Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and Ruminations about your CRAP". CRAP stands for Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure. I have to admit that after almost a year of pouring my heart out, I'm ready to see it in print!... Read more... posted on: 3/31/2012 2:30:00 PM by Vali Heist category: General Organizing Tips

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About Vali:

Vali Heist is a Certified Professional Organizer, the owner of The Clutter Crew for homeowners, and a Certified GO System Trainer for businesses. She is the author of "Organize This! Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and Ruminations about your CRAP. CRAP stands for Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure! She writes a monthly column for the Reading Eagle called "Organize This!". Vali's bachelor's degree is in Business Administration from Shippensburg University and her Master's Degree is in Higher Education from Kutztown University. Vali has an extensive background of 24 years in Higher Education including training, administration, project management, writing, and editorial production. Her passion has always been organization and how it relates to the simplification of work and personal life in order to enjoy both to the fullest. Her ultimate goal is to continue finding simple, easy to implement ideas that work in the real world and pass them on to her clients.

Vali's Website:

www.thecluttercrew.com