What a week!

So much has been going on with Simply Organized since I last blogged, I'm not sure where to begin...The end of last week brought more exciting clients to work with and challenging projects that I love to do! I truly feel blessed to be able to do what I love while helping others get organized.

Last Friday, I also had the chance to visit with some good friends in Annapolis, which is always fun. It was a spectacular day to be outside and in that gorgeous hometown of mine! Saturday, Nick & I went to visit my sister and brother-in-law and two of our gorgeous nephews. Carson's birthday was earlier this month and he is very into Toy Story - so we brought him a Buzz, Wooy and rocket set. He was sooo excited and I just love that he loved it. He is such an amazing kid - and whew, the vocabulary he has will just blow you away. Tyler is getting so big and is just more adorable by the minute!

Sunday I had the opportunity to attend a fantastic Yoga class at Coreworks Fitness. It's one of the best classes I have ever attended! Thanks to Sara and Yoga Joe for making the afternoon so great. If anyone likes Yoga and is looking for a new place, definitely check it out. In my class were a few Facebook friends (who I got to meet in person) and we had such a great time! That evening, I was on Glenn Garnes' Abundance radio show talking about the Yoga class, where he also gave a shout out to Simply Organized!! For more info on Glenn and all the great things he is doing check out the link to his radio show on my Simply Organized Facebook Page. Lots more happening and more to come!!

Another Busy Week!

It seems like each and every week is jam packed...but, that is the way I like it. I started off on Monday meeting with a potential new client to go over needs for a kitchen and master bathroom organization project. Then, went over to a current project (a Salon & Spa), where I spent time working on a complete reorganization of one of the spa closets. It's tiny, which is what made it a challenge, but I left there 95% done. I will just need to go back and work on labeling and finishing touches next week.

Tuesday brought a meeting with another potential client for an in-office assesement, and it immediately turned into a (3) hour working session. I'll be back next week to finish the office reorganization job - very exciting! The owner has a great concept that he's working on in Washington, DC and it was so exciting to hear about it - maybe I will be able to share more info in the future. That evening, a friend & I went out for a Girls Night and had a blast catching up over fondue - yummy! I really love the Melting Pot and they were offering a fantastic deal - appetizer, salad, split of a meal and dessert for $35! We had a really entertaining server -- come to find out he just completed his internship with Walt Disney World last year, so we had the WDW CP in common. He asked me when I did my internship, and I didn't want to admit it was 21 years ago! :)

The rest of the week has been extremely busy too. Last night, the Awesome Womens Hub on Facebook kicked off their Awesome Woman Bountiful Basket Giveaway and Simply Organized is thrilled to be a part of it!! If you haven't been to the site -- it's certainly worth checking out. SO is giving away $40 worth of products and the entire basket is valued at over $450! You have until next Wednesday, April 28th to enter.

A Weekend Full of Giving Back

It was a beautiful weekend in the Mid Atlantic! I had the opportunity to go to an event on Friday night where my friend sells many of her unique finds (purses, jewelry, etc.) and a portion of the sales go to a worthy cause. This time the proceeds went to breast cancer research. Previously, she held her events from her home, but now has a storefront at a salon. I met many interesting women while shopping and even got pampered with a manicure. It's always great to see friends, find some great gifts to benefit a cause and get pampered!

On Saturday, I had a SO client in the morning and then went down to the ARC in Annapolis - to help clean up the garden with the Chesapeake Outdoor Group. What a wonderful cause and it just energized me to help out this group to make the ARC's area even more beautiful. The bonus was catching up with friends from high school - some I hadn't seen in many years! We continued hanging out in Annapolis afterwards and really had a wonderful time. I would certainly like to continue to be involved in their work in months to come!

After I got home late in the afternoon, Nick & I went out to dinner to a new restaurant in the area, Facci. We had the honor of meeting the Chef/Owner, Gino (who is from Naples, just like the Bracaglia's) and the wonderful manager, Lisa. She's from NJ, (like Nick) and is Italian, so you can just imagine how well they hit it off. We'll be returning again, as the food is excellent and worth the trip!

Sunday, we stayed busy working in the yard and got oh-so-much done. It's really shaping up with all of our hard work! On another Simply Organized front - my fans over at the Facebook fan page helped me to get the word out and to achieve the goal of (200) followers this weekend!! We're now at (202) as I write this blog. I'm so excited and very thankful for everyone who is helping me grow! I have a great week ahead with lots of SO work to do, but happy to be doing it!

TGIF!

Yesterday was another fantastic day! I had the opportunity to go to Annapolis and spend time with a few of my favorite people - one of my best friends, her two wonderful children and some clients that I always enjoy. Life is good!

I also received some really great news re: some additional consulting work, and that just continues to keep the calendar full. Sometimes the stars just align, and I feel blessed it is happening right now. I know for some that this may sound a bit zen-like, but I believe in karma 100%. What you put out there, you get back. Sure, bad things sometimes happen to good people, but overall, when you work hard, treat others well, and just try to be a kind and compassionate person, the good things comes back your way. I truly feel like all of my efforts for many months with SO and other personal things that are now occuring are coming to light.

I plan on continuing to "pay it forward". Tomorrow, after a client consultation, I am heading to Annapolis to work with the Chesapeake Outdoor Group for Greenscape at the ARC to help to clean up the grounds and give back to the community. For those who are in the area and want to get involved, please contact president@chesapeakeoutdoor.org for more details. Have a great Friday and wonderful weekend!

Taking Time for Work & Life...

This week is just flying by. I guess when things are busy, that just happens. But, I'm also trying to take the time each day to enjoy the simple things. Whether looking at the beautiful blooming flowers or talking a walk with Dixon, I just want to take a moment each day to relax, unwind and see the beauty in the things all around me. I really do love the spring and it just seems to always make me feel more energized.

Business continues to pick up, I still think it has to do with spring cleaning, but also because of all the hard work put into the original start-up and networking of Simply Organized. My friends, family, fans of the Facebook page and people that I meet continue to amaze me with the support I receive for the business. My goal was to have (200) fans by May 1st, and as of today, I have (179) on the SO Fan Page. I think if I continue to work hard at it and with the support of everyone, we will be able to get the rest of the lucky 21 by the end of the month!

Today I have another busy day with SO consulting work and also visiting with one of my very best friends for lunch. Excited to see her and her two adorable children. It's so nice that we are able to meet up with eachother in what is already a busy week. I'm finally beginning to practice what it is I often preach...taking time for a well rounded life.

An Amazing Day!

Have you ever just had one of those days where things just seem to be positive? I had one of them yesterday. I truly do like to think of myself as an optimist and a glass half full kind of girl.

Yesterday Theresa & I spent a nice, long time in the Container Store. It really is like an organizer's heaven. I came out of there truly inspired and full of ideas for my clients and with many ideas for my own home. Nick & I always call it a work in progress, so it's fun to check out organization products that work for us as well. Oh, I also found out that they may be opening a new store in Columbia (whoo hoo) in the next few years. When asked, we were told by an employee that it is "in the plans". I will continue to wait with serious excitement!

I also went to a networking event in Howard County where I met some interesting professionals from all kinds of backgrounds. The topic discussed was specifically related to networking itself and what to do once you leave an event. When I got home, I received a welcome surprise gift from a woman who I truly respect - another Professional Organizer (and national speaker) who I met last fall. She sent a CD entitled "Amazing Things" - it was so thoughtful and I love it!

My SO fan page continues to grow and I can't thank all my friends from AHS, Clemson, jobs I have held throughout the years and all of the others for continuing to support my business. I am meeting many other "virtual" new fans who suggest the site to others and I can't believe I've added 100 fans in just over 10 days. That is some AMAZING progress. Here's to another positive day!

How Much Do I Love being a Professional Organizer?

I don't even know where to begin with this post. When I go into a client's home for an introduction and meeting, sometimes I never know what I'm going to find. That is okay, because it's part of the Simply Organized process. But yesterday, I had a client tell me "Beth - I can't believe what a difference this has made. I'm not sure if I want to take a picture of the closet or hug you!"

Today, my friend Theresa and I are taking a "research trip" up to The Container Store in Rockville. We have been petitioning the CS site to please, please, please open a location closer to Howard County. I mean, why not? I would even visit an Annapolis location... Since I grew up there, I would happily head thirty minutes in that direction - just gives me yet another excuse to go. I already go there for Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Sur la Table, Paper Source, Whole Foods, etc. Oh, and did I mention that I just love to visit with my AHS friends when visiting there?

Anyways, I know that this trip is going to be more fun than I can imagine. Sending (2) Professional Organizers to The Container Store is like sending kids into a candy store! I know I will come back even more inspired with many, many more ideas to share with my SO fans on Facebook.

A Simply Busy Week!

It truly is a great time of year to be a Professional Organizer. I think it's because everyone becomes more motivated to work on indoor and outdoor projects once daylight savings occurs and spring weather finally is here. I know it makes me want to clean up the house, office and the yard. For me, it's a week of new clients, continuing to work previous clients and networking meetings all over the area. I will be busy all week long getting the word out on the business and working hard to help others get their homes and offices organized!

It was a great weekend over on Facebook as well - The Simply Organized Fan Page got it's 150th Fan! Considering that a week ago the number was less than 70, I'm definitely going to call that excellent progress!! It really is great to have such a wonderful network of friends and family and new fans who are suggesting the site and getting the word out there. I have fans from all over the country and have a few international ones as well. We also had the first contest winner on the page - Delia Gottke won a SO gift set for suggesting and having the most people join the page.

It's another beautiful day in the Mid-Atlantic, so if you can, get out, even just at lunch and enjoy it!

A Simply Beautiful Simply Organized Day

This is definintely one of the most gorgeous spring days so far in Maryland. The birds were up early (like me!) and now the sun is brightly shining down to make it a memorable Sunday.

I just got back from spending time in the yard with Nick. We have spent quite alot of time out there lately on the weekends. The snow really got our poor ol' house and we lost one of our main trees in the front as well as some other smaller shrubs. The good news is that now we can at least pick out what we want to have in the yard. The best benefit of living in a somewhat older neighborhood is that the trees are so mature and gorgeous this time of year. But, it also requires much more maintenance when all the leaves and branches come off!

On the Simply Organized front, the Fan Page on Facebook continues to grow. A week ago before I issued the challenge to my fans to suggest to their friends and family, the site was at 70 or so. Today, as I type this, SO now has 149 fans - whoo hoo! It is far exceeding my goal of 150 by May 1st! Very exciting news and for me it's nice to know people want those hints and tips.

Wherever you are following this from, enjoy the rest of your beautiful day!

Happy Birthday Carson K

Today is my nephew Carson's 3rd birthday. Sometimes, I just can't believe how fast time flies...seems like just yesterday that he was born...wow!

I had a fantastic day yesterday on appointments. So much is going on right now with life in general and with Simply Organized, but it's all good. I have no complaints, I feel like I thrive when things are busy. Last night Nick & I went out for a nice meal at a restaurant where the owners are U of MD grads, so that always makes Nick pleased to support his fellow Terps.

I'm looking forward to another weekend spent outside working the garden. I may even convince Chef Nick to cook us up one of his Italian specialties. It's going to be another beautiful weekend here and we'll be using it to our advantage. I truly love the spring!!

Welcome to The Simply Organized Blog!

This is my first post and I am excited to share with you all my hints, tips, and all the latest and greatest going on in my personal and professional life. Things have been busy with Simply Organized and I'm sure it's because spring cleaning is on everyone's mind.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a wife to my wonderful husband Nick, sister to Amy and Michael, daughter to a phenomenal woman that I owe so very much to (Suzy P), aunt to my eleven nieces and nephews and entrepreneur. Most of my time has been spent in the Maryland and DC area, although I have also lived in Atlanta, GA (on 3 separate occasions), and Florida. I went to school at Clemson in South Carolina (go Tigers!) where I spent a semester working at the Grand Floridian on the Walt Disney World College Program and another semester at Clemson as a Presidential Intern to Dr. Max Lennon.

I received my Bachelors of Science in Management with a concentration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Early in my career, I was in retail management with Bath and Body Works before moving into Human Resources. It didn't take me long to figure out that recruiting was the avenue I wanted to take within HR. I began as a Technical Recruiter before moving into Corporate Recruiting and then into Training and Development in the Information Technology realm. I have also taken master's coursework at Johns Hopkins University in Organizational Development.

For the past (15) years I have assisted homeowners and business owners to organize their homes and offices. There is nothing I enjoy more than helping others to create a space that they love. Whether it's a smaller job such as a linen closet or pantry, or an entire basement or garage reorganization - I'm up for it. No job is too small or too large!

That's it for now. I'll continue blogging away in the near future!