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Holiday Planning Made Simple - Tips to help you manage the holiday rush (Part 2)

Earlier this week I wrote part one of this series Entertaining Does Not Have to Be Hard -- Use Your Best Talents.  Today, I'll talk a bit about gift giving and making time for yourself.

Holiday Planning Made Simple - Tips to help you manage the holiday rush (Part 1)

The holiday season is upon us and for many it is a hectic and stressful time of year. It does not have to be! The holiday season is a time for making room for what is important to you. How you do that is your choice.

Be organized and reduce your holiday spending!

It is easy to get caught up in the holiday excitement and overspend during the holidays. We want to be generous to our family and friends but, for many of us, 2009 has been a difficult year. I don’t want to start off 2010 with overwhelming credit card bills and I’m guessing you probably feel the same way. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you reduce your holiday spending. 

Why are we keeping oversized and out of season items in easy to reach places?!

As organizers, we often see items stored in a home that could have a different resting spot.  Today, organizer Annette Reyman shares her thoughts on the topic. 

I don’t know about you, but I can think of 2 reasons right off the bat why it doesn't make sense to keep over-sized and out of season items in easy to reach places.

Holiday Planner for You!

Get Organized Now!  Holiday Planner END HOLIDAY STRESS, FRUSTRATION AND CHAOS Are the holidays stressful for you? Between holiday card writing, gift giving, decorating, family traditions, baking, and everything else, it's no wonder! But, it doesn't have to be that way. It's never too early to start getting organized for the holidays. Get your Holiday Planner today, and have a relaxing, stress-free holiday season.  This is a great book!  Let us know what you do to plan for the holidays.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

It is at this time of year that Americans take time to reflect on what is important to them and what they are thankful for.  We at Calahan Solutions, Inc. want you to know that you are appreciated every day of the year and if there is anything that we can do to help your holiday season run with less stress, please let us know!  The following tips provide thoughts for upcoming holiday planning.  We will be adding quite a few articles to the site within the next few weeks, so keep a lookout for more ideas.

Shift Your Focus

Letting Go - The Rest of the Wedding Dress Story

You are Not Alone! Professional Organizers Can Get Emotional with Their De-cluttering Too-- The Process Used by One Organizer to Part with her Wedding Dress & Help Breast Cancer Research

Clutter- Anything that you own, possess, or do which does not enhance your life on a regular basis.

I provide this definition in almost every presentation and workshop that I do.  It is logical and I apply de-cluttering tips on a consistent basis in my own home. . . with one exception . . . my wedding dress! The dress I wore to marry the love of my life.

Do you have a bridal gown or bridesmaids gowns that you no longer wear or want to keep?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and what better time to tell you about this donation location!

“Brides Against Breast Cancer” continues to be the Making Memories Foundation’s number one fund-raising event across the nation. Over 32 shows every year enable brides-to-be to find the gown of their dreams (at an incredible savings) while making wishes and dreams come true for women and men diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.

Back to School Made Simple - Part 2

Throughout the next 4 weeks kids will begin to start school. Now is the time to pave the way to a good school year by setting up a routine and an organized house.

Remember children need to make as many decisions as  possible. Avoid power struggles by letting them make small decisions. Encourage independence. The more kids are involved in the household, the less strain there is on the parents.

Here are tips for homework to reduce your anxiety level and making the school days run more smoothly.

Back to School Made Simple - Part 1

As the carefree days of summer are coming to a close, it’s time to start thinking about sending the kids back to school. While some parents are jumping for joy, others view this time of year as hectic and stressful. Now is the time to pave the way to a good school year by setting up an organized routine and an organized house.

The key is to have everyone in the household involved in the daily tasks. Encourage independence. Let them help in what ever age-appropriate tasks they can. The more kids are involved in the household, the less strain there is on the parents.

Here are tips for reducing your anxiety level and making the school days run more smoothly.

Family Reunion Month

Family Reunions can be the highlight of the year if they are planned and organized well.  We found Mr. Spiffy out on the web and he has some great tips for making your family reunion one of the best ever!

Organizing Tool - Are Your Christmas Cards Done?

I have to take a minute to tell you about one of my favorite organizing tools that crosses both my business and my home life.  It is called SendOutCards.  Before I found this system, sending out cards used to take me DAYS -- hey, I have a large list of people I send to!  Now, It takes less than a half hour to send all of them. 

I can honestly say that this system has made me a better person.  Sound weird?  It sounds weird to me too.   Keep reading to see my company card (I'm proud of it) and learn about a special deal I have for the readers of my blog!