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Peace of Mind Organizing

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Articles tagged with geralin thomas

Organizers: Check out the free Business Simplicity Summit next month!

15 February 2023 | Comments [4] »

If you’re professional organizer or other small business owner, I encourage you to check out the Business Simplicity Summit being organized by Molly Winters, The Connection Copywriter.

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Styling your Zoom backdrop

29 March 2021 | Comments [0] »

Before 2020 I very rarely talked with anyone via video. But then the pandemic hit and just like that Zoom became a way of life. My Zoom backdrop it was quite cluttered and distracting. So I got some help.

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Must-see videos for new organizers

11 February 2021 | Comments [2] »

My friend, Geralin Thomas of Metropolitan Organizing in Cary, N.C., is a professional organizer who specializes in coaching other professional organizers. If you’re not aware of all the amazing content she has put together to help organizers, you’re missing out. Let me help you remedy that.

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A great 90th birthday present

12 October 2020 | Comments [2] »

My father, Gene Adams, turned 90 on September 11. He lives in Walla Walla, in remote southeastern Washington state. I usually visit about four times a year but because of COVID, I hadn’t seen him since early February. I couldn’t stand the idea of not being with him to celebrate such a big day, but I also wasn’t comfortable flying there and potentially picking up and transmitting the virus to him. So I drove. It was a 4,000-mile roundtrip journey and I had a great time despite the weirdness of COVID-era travel. (I promise a post on the trip and the precautions I took.)

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I still love my Loopy iPhone case!

5 October 2020 | Comments [2] »

In May 2017, I blogged about my Loopy iPhone case, which I still adore. I’ve edited the post slightly and reprint it here. I’ve used the heck out of that loop for three years and it started to tear, so a month or two ago I ordered a replacement loop. I inquired about shipping and in the course of my conversation with customer service they offered to refund what I’d paid for the replacement loop, because Loopy has a lifetime warranty! I was very impressed. It makes me love them even more.

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Worth repeating: Creating a capsule wardrobe

19 March 2020 | Comments [0] »

I wrote this blog post in 2015, after a delightful visit from my friend Geralin Thomas. I’ve updated it a little, including adding that Geralin is now selling an inexpensive Wardrobe Wisdom Workbook and adding my new favorite resale shop now that the Scholarshop is closed. Geralin is my secret weapon when it comes to looking good. I’m so lucky (and grateful)!

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NAPO's Stand Out podcast

23 August 2018 | Comments [0] »

If you’re reading this blog, you may very well be a professional organizer or perhaps an aspiring organizer. That’s why I want you to know about Stand Out the podcast from the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Stand Out is produced for professional organizers, but its content would be useful to all sorts of small business owners.

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Master the art of using business forms

2 April 2018 | Comments [1] »

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Worth repeating: Expert clothing advice for women of a certain age

26 March 2018 | Comments [2] »

I had a lovely time creating a capsule wardrobe with my friend and wardrobe advisor, Geralin Thomas. Geralin has been helping me with my clothing since for eight years and I am so grateful for her expert advice.

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My newest favorite iPhone accessory: Loopy

15 May 2017 | Comments [3] »

I attended the NAPO conference last month and roomed, as usual, with my pal, Geralin Thomas. Geralin is always turning me on to great things and I’ve learned over the years to take her recommendations very seriously.

This time, she showed me her phone case, which is called Loopy. This case has a collapsible silicon loop on the back, which threads through holes in the case to securely fasten the loop inside the case.

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Giveaway winner!

30 November 2015 | Comments [0] »

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway for a copy of Decluttering Your Home: Tips, Techniques & Trade Secrets, by Geralin Thomas. I used the Random Number Generator to select a winner.

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Decluttering Your Home: A review + giveaway

23 November 2015 | Comments [14] »

My friend, the amazing organizer Geralin Thomas, has written a fabulous new book, Decluttering Your Home: Tips, Techniques & Trade Secrets. The 176-page book, published by Firefly Books, is heavily illustrated with beautiful photos and drawings.

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Expert clothing advice for women of a certain age

19 October 2015 | Comments [2] »

As I posted last week, I had a lovely time creating a capsule wardrobe with my friend and wardrobe advisor, Geralin Thomas. Geralin has been helping me with my clothing since for eight years and I am so grateful for her expert advice.

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Creating a capsule wardrobe

14 October 2015 | Comments [5] »

For the last eight years I’ve been fortunate enough to be friends with Geralin Thomas, a professional organizer and wardrobe consultant who has patiently been trying to educate me on what to wear and how to wear it. (I like looking nice, but I lack confidence in knowing what looks great on me and how to put together outfits.)

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The rewards of a closet purge

8 September 2014 | Comments [7] »

My friend and fab professional organizer, Geralin Thomas, came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. One of the services Geralin offers her clients is wardrobe organization, which includes closet organizing and wardrobe selection. She helped me six years ago (time flies!) and I leaped at the chance to have her help me with my wardrobe again.

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Tracing my roots: Why I love genealogy research

5 April 2014 | Comments [5] »

Like millions of others around the world, I love doing family history research. Sometimes friends will ask what is it about genealogy that turns me on so much. I think it boils down to this:

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Worth repeating: Closet issues

21 August 2013 | Comments [0] »

If you have trouble parting with clothes, you’re not alone. Even Oprah Winfrey has a tough time, as I explained in this 2010 blog post. Incidentally, I still adore the fact that the clothes in my closet are organized by color!

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I'm (finally) on the Pinterest bandwagon

20 February 2013 | Comments [0] »

I have to admit, I’ve been a little slow to the game with Pinterest, the online pinboard social media site that’s swept the nation. Lots of my friends have been loving it for years, but in the past, I’d go to the site and scratch my head trying to figure out how it could be useful to me.

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The value of saying no

6 August 2012 | Comments [5] »

On her Facebook page my buddy Gerailn Thomas shared the following words of wisdom this past Friday: “It’s Okay to Say No.”

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Clos-ette Too Travel Jewelry Case: Review & Giveaway!

23 May 2012 | Comments [26] »

Up until a few years ago, traveling with jewelry wasn’t much of an issue for me. I had a few pairs of earrings and a tiny (2” by 3”) little oriental cloth zipper case I put them in when I traveled. Then I met Geralin Thomas who, among her many talents, is a wardrobe consultant. She’s helped me up my game in terms of clothing and especially in terms of accessories.

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So excited for the NAPO conference!

5 March 2012 | Comments [8] »

I admit it. I’m a conference junkie. Since I became an organizer in 2005, I’ve attended every conference of the my two main professional groups, the National Association of Professional Organizers and the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (now Institute for Challenging Disorganization), plus three NAPO regional conferences, the Professional Organizers in Canada conference last year and the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers conference in 2009 (where I spoke).

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Some great tools for new organizers

2 November 2011 | Comments [2] »

Part of me is jealous of people who are starting their organizing businesses now. Of course, the economy isn’t the greatest. But compared to 2005 when I started my business, there are so many resources available, at a reasonable rate, to help people get started.

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Taking time out for some fun

23 September 2011 | Comments [0] »

I’ve been traveling and working hard these last couple of weeks. I was in Raleigh, N.C. to attend the Institute for Challenging Disorganization’s annual conference which was, in a word, fantastic. (If somewhat exhausting.)

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Children of hoarders the focus of ABC's 20/20 tonight

5 August 2011 | Comments [1] »

My friend, Geralin Thomas, CPO-CD®, who is one of the regularly featured organizers on A&E’s Hoarders tv show let me know that tonight on ABC’s 20/20 program, they’ll be doing an episode on children of hoarders.

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Having fun, learning lots

8 April 2011 | Comments [1] »

There’s little I like better than having fun while learning. And that’s exactly what I’m doing here in San Diego at the NAPO conference.

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Off to San Diego!

6 April 2011 | Comments [1] »

I leave this afternoon to fly to San Diego for the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. This will be my sixth NAPO conference in a row and, as always, I’m very excited.

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A little holiday shopping help

16 November 2010 | Comments [0] »

My friend, the fabulous organizer Geralin Thomas, just shared on her Facebook fan page a link to a website that can save you some money on holiday shopping. It’s FreeShipping.org, where you can get coupon codes for free shipping from online vendors. Going there first might help you narrow down where you want to shop!

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Hoarders is back this weekend!

1 September 2010 | Comments [5] »

I have to admit that I’m kind of excited that A&E TV’s Hoarders program is having its third-season debut on Monday. They’ll be airing back-to-back new episodes starting at 9 pm/8 pm central.

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Friends and families in the organizing process

1 June 2010 | Comments [0] »

Last night, after several months of repeats, A&E aired a new episode of its hit documentary TV series, Hoarders.

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Closet issues

17 May 2010 | Comments [2] »

Cleaning out the clothes closet is difficult for many people. Clothes can represent so much — like music, they can do a great job of capturing a feeling about an occasion or part of life. They also can represent hopes. You hope to wear that size again. Or you hope to have an occasion to wear that evening gown.

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Hoarding: Buried Alive

29 March 2010 | Comments [5] »

Hot on the heels of the popularity of A&E TV’s Hoarders documentary TV series (the network’s top-rated show), the cable network TLC is producing its own documentary series on hoarding, called Hoarding: Buried Alive.

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What will you do with your extra hour?

30 October 2009 | Comments [1] »

In the U.S., we gain an hour on Sunday as Daylight Savings Time (finally) ends. I always love this day because I’ve been given the gift of an extra hour. Rather than setting my clock back before bed, I do it after I wake up so I can actually experience gaining an hour.

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Why training and credentials matter

9 October 2009 | Comments [4] »

I just earned a credential I’m really proud of. I’m now a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization®, a certification conferred by the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganizaton.

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Some great resources on hoarding

7 October 2009 | Comments [1] »

I’m back from Los Angeles, where I earned my Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization® credential from the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization — more on the significance of that in a post later this week. As usual after a trip, I’m struggling to get back into the swing of my routines. (I’m happy to report that I have managed to clear my desk each evening.)

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Are you watching "Hoarders"?

21 September 2009 | Comments [0] »

I’m hooked on A&E Television’s hit documentary series, Hoarders. When I first heard about it (when it was in the production phase), red flags went up. I was afraid the program wouldn’t be respectful to the hoarders who were featured on the show. Or they’d offer unrealistic portrayals or quick fixes.

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Set your DVRs - New "Hoarders" series debuts Monday

14 August 2009 | Comments [4] »

I’m really excited to watch the new documentary series on A&E Television called Hoarders, which debuts on Monday at 10/9 central on A&E. My good friend, Geralin Thomas, a fabulous organizer in Cary, N.C., is one of the organizers featured on the show. In Monday’s episode, she’s seen helping Jennifer Miller, a mother of three whose husband is also a hoarder.

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Highlight reel: NAPO 2009 conference

4 May 2009 | Comments [3] »

I don’t know what made me think I’d find time to blog while in Orlando for the 2009 conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. You’d think by now I’d know that I spend little time in my room there and when I am in my room I’m either chatting or sleeping.

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Off to Orlando!

28 April 2009 | Comments [0] »

I leave this morning for Orlando to attend the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a conference junkie. I really benefit from the information and energy of a conference full of passionate folks.

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A couple of knitting projects to show off

27 February 2009 | Comments [2] »

I’m been knitting up a storm and not always remembering to take pictures of projects before I give them away. Right now I’m halfway through a striped cotton poncho (the Rap on Stripes poncho from Pam Allen’s Wrap Style) that I’m excited about, for spring.

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At last, an organized and attractive bag

6 February 2009 | Comments [11] »

I love having an organized purse. For some time I used the Baggallini City Bag, which I liked because it held what I needed and I could find things fairly easily. But it was a little more casual than I wanted when I was dressed to impress.

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Great tips on hiring an organizer

20 January 2009 | Comments [2] »

Over at Unclutterer today, my pal Geralin Thomas of Metropolitan Organizing has a terrific blog post on how to hire a professional organizer. It includes fifteen questions to ask a prospective organizer, as well as qualifications to look for.

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The challenge of 140 characters

15 December 2008 | Comments [2] »

I’ve been on Twitter for about a month now. As I posted a couple of weeks ago, I’m finding it very interesting, educational, and diverting. It hasn’t proved to be a time suck for me because I’m learning so much from the links people post to Twitter.

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Hoarding in the news

11 December 2008 | Comments [0] »

When hoarding makes its way into the media, it’s usually in an article about some sort of tragedy that happened as a result of hoarding. (Firefighters unable to get to put out a fire, someone getting buried under their clutter.) Instead, this article on AlterNet, called How Compulsive Hoarding Can Threaten Your Health and Take Over Your Life helps readers understand hoarders a little better. It takes a compassionate approach, which is refreshing. The article, by Emily Wilson, is based on an interview with Dorothy Breininger of the Delphi Center for Organization, an organizer who really rocks. I’m a big fan of Dorothy’s.

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Atwitter over Twitter

25 November 2008 | Comments [4] »

My friend and life coach Shannon Wilkinson convinced me a couple of weeks ago to give Twitter a try. Until I spoke with her, I didn’t get it. Why would I want to post short little messages to a social networking site? And why would I want to read what others were posting? Sounded like kind of a time suck to me. Somehow I felt a little too old for it (which turned out to be ridiculous).

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Shopping nirvana

25 September 2008 | Comments [2] »

I had a day yesterday that was absolute heaven. My friend, Geralin Thomas, who among other things does wardrobe consulting, is in town for the annual conference of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. She came in a day early, arriving at 8 a.m. yesterday morning, to see me and to do some wardrobe organizing and enhancing.

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Some great advice on yard sales

29 August 2008 | Comments [0] »

Whenever I have a client who says she wants to do a yard sale, I always groan inwardly. I usually convince the client that a more expeditious route to achieving her goals would be to donate unwanted items or, in a couple of really cluttered cases, get a local auction service to come take away the stuff and sell it for her.

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Let's talk hangers

14 August 2008 | Comments [5] »

Over at Unclutterer today, they have a post on clothes hangers. What are the best clothes hangers? That’s an individual decision, but the Unclutterer article spells out the options.

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Get organized. Lose weight.

1 August 2008 | Comments [4] »

Organizer Peter Walsh received a lot of press earlier this year upon the release of his book, Does this Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? that explored the connection between getting organized and losing weight.

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The Time Timer

8 May 2008 | Comments [4] »

Are you familiar with the Time Timer? It’s a tool, often recommended for people with ADD, that gives a visual representation of the passage of time.

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How do you spell procrastination?

15 April 2008 | Comments [1] »

In my life right now, the answer to that question is T-A-X-E-S. I have to hang my head in shame and admit that my taxes aren’t done. But I’m quite sure they will be by the end of the day.

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Organizing nirvana

10 April 2008 | Comments [0] »

Checking in for a quick moment to say how wonderfully fortunate I feel to be at the national NAPO conference here in Reno. I just heard the most wonderful keynote address from Peter Walsh, who totally rocks.

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Must-watch TV

9 December 2007 | Comments [1] »

If you like watching organizing shows on TV, you’re in for a treat. Fine Living Network has a new show called Time Makeover that focuses on time management.

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