Thinking Out of the Box
Much of my time as a Professional Organizer is spent helping people to put things into containers and boxes. But, success in this business requires as much thinking "out of the box" as it does about putting things into containers. I was reminded of this recently, while consulting with clients who owns a large, well-appointed suburban home. Two of the issues that the clients presented were the lack of closet space on the main floor, and the constant clutter on a small, built-in desk. Limited closet space resulted in coats' being deposited in the front entry.
Shoes were removed inside the garage and dropped on the floor, by the other door into the house. The homeowners were tired of tripping on shoes. And the last thing they wanted (guests) to see was a wall of coats hanging in the foyer. So, the challenge was clear: This active family needed more closet space.
The second problem was the built-in desk.
Located adjacent to the kitchen, the desk was an obvious clutter trap. It was probably designed as a bill paying area, or maybe a place for children to do homework. But, the family had a home office, and the children were teens. Over time, this space had become a phone desk, magazine dump, mail dump, etc. So, I asked the client some questions: "Do you use this desk?""A little.
For this and that.""Do you need the desk?" "No.""Would you miss the desk if it went away?""No.""Are you thinking what I'm thinking?""I'm thinking about ripping out the desk, adding some doors, and turning the space into a closet. Is that what you're thinking?""Exactly."What's the point? The architect designed a built-in desk, the builder built a built-in desk, and the homeowner bought a built-in desk. But, the space wasn't working as a desk. So, we took the same space, and gave it a different name: closet. Same space-different use.
Better use of space. More productive use of space. More effective use of space. The ability to make these connections, and visualize new uses is part of thinking out of the box. Sometimes we have to stand back, remove the preconceptions, and let out imagination work.
Containers and boxes are important. And sometimes we need to put the containers aside, and think out of the box. It's an important part of learning to become organized..
Marc Rifkin is a Professional Organizer, and owner of OASIS professional organizers, which provides home and office organizing services throughout Greater Seattle.© 2005 OASIS professional organizers?oasisorganizers.cominfo@oasisorganizers.comThe Origins of Coats of Arms
Coats of arms, often known as family crests, appeared first in England in the early 1300s and quickly spread throughout Europe. The ?science' of heraldry was thus established with rules and terms.
Coats of arms were displayed on banners, tabards and, of course, shields. The term coat of arms was derived from the surcoat, a linen garment that was worn over the suit of armour when a nobleman, knight or landowner fought in battle. ?Surcoat' led to the term ?coat of arms'.
Although coats of arms were very decorative, they grew out of a need to identify who was who in battle. Landowners had their own small private armies and took their followers off to battle, particularly during the Crusades.
When battle was joined, the suit of armour completely covered the knight who was thus unidentifiable and risked an early form of ?friendly fire'! So, to enable their rabbles of followers to identify them and rally to their side, the knights stated to paint symbols...
The Origins of Coats of Arms
Coats > The Origins of Coats of Arms
Manicure Tips for the Busy Girl
A manicure should be an integral part of your regular beauty routines. But, if you don't have the time or the finances to visit a salon for a manicure as often as you would like, you can always do it yourself in your own home. Here's our guide to getting a thorough DIY manicure performed by your very own hands for your very own hands.
1. Apply some nail varnish remover to a cotton ball so that it's semi-saturated than quickly remove the old varnish fram each nail, rubbing outwards from the cuticle to the tip. But try to avoid getting the remover into the cuiticle and surounding skin.
Also, it is best to avoid varnish removers that contain acetone, even if the bottle states that they also contain conditioners. Aceone will dry out your nails, which is very unhealthy for them. When finished removing the varnish, rince away all traces of the remover using warm tap water. Dry your fingers thoroughly.
2. Shape your nails using a medium emery board, filing...
Coats > Manicure Tips for the Busy Girl
Dog Worms
Some dogs develop dog worms. What are these worms and what are the signs of infestation?
The main species of worms that dog owners have problems with are round worms and tapeworms. Round worms are common among puppies, and are a cause of headache for dog breeders. These worms are like common angleworms in size and shape but with a lighter color of white or pale pink.
In adult dogs, round worms can grow up to seven inches long and half in length and are thick as a white string in puppies. They live in the dog's small intestines and usually are coiled in masses that obstruct the stomach passage.
In dogs, it sometimes goes to the stomach or end up as bowels.
When one dog is infected with worms, millions of eggs will pass through that dog's feces. These can be found all over the floor, bedding, even in feeding and drinking pans. They can n go to the dog's coats and are licked off and swallowed, finding their way inside the dog's intestinal tract....
Coats > Dog Worms
Make the Most of Your Mudroom Storage
Since most of us spend our busy lives entering and exiting the house through the garage, it is beneficial to keep the mudroom storage area organized and functional. This high-traffic zone is usually the space between the garage door and the kitchen, consisting of a hall closet and laundry room. But, just because the mudroom storage area is the Grand Central Station of your house, doesn't mean that it has to look that way by lacking in the aesthetic department. This is a great area to be creative with your organizing skills and decorating skills.Because there may be muddy shoes, snow-covered boots, and wet dogs trotting through, you will want to invest in all-weather flooring. You also want to place convenient storage options within reach so your family does not need to travel far to undress from their outerwear.
Observe how this mudroom storage area is currently used by your family. Then, try to accommodate their habits, in an organized matter. Keep the 3 Mudroom Storage Areas...
Make the Most of Your Mudroom Storage
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Innovative New Software PC Pandora Helps Parents Stop Online Predators Fast; Affordable Desktop Application Protects Children from Online Pedophiles
Las Vegas, NV (ContentDesk) February 28, 2006 -- Pandora Corporation is pleased to announce the release of PC Pandora 3.0, the newest version of the popular PC Pandora software, a desktop application designed to allow parents to monitor the PC activity of family members. The affordable PC surveillance and Internet monitoring software is easy to use and install. Parents can install the software themselves and be up and running in less than two minutes. The new PC Pandora 3.0 is now available online at http://www.PCPandora.com."PC Pandora fulfills a niche in terms of child safety, says Manny Coats, Managing Partner of Pandora Corporation. Children have never been more vulnerable to online predators, and many leading advocates recommend monitoring or restricting computer usage as a first line of defense for keeping your child safe. Designed to operate either silently or in the open, monitoring software allows the administrator of...
Innovative New Software PC Pandora Helps Parents Stop Online Predators Fast; Affordable Desktop Application Protects Children from Online Pedophiles
Coats > Innovative New Software PC Pandora Helps Parents Stop Online Predators Fast; Affordable Desktop Application Protects Children from Online Pedophiles
Setting the Bar for Offshore Coating Systems
(ContentDesk) November 15, 2005 -- Equipment and structures designed for coastal and offshore regions need to be treated in such a way as to ensure they perform safely and effectively for a long time. These regions are highly corrosive; therefore the corrosion resistance of the coating material is just as important as the mechanical stability of the machinery. Harsh conditions such as continuous wet & dry salt spray, severe exposure to ultra violet rays, constant movement of substrate, abrasions from pipe, drilling, casing, and chemical spills can weaken structure and affect individual equipment components.Solids content and viscosity are major factors in production. Depending on how thin or thick the emulsion is and on the percentage of solids, it will take more or fewer coats to meet specific mill specs. In short, coatings with a higher solids content require fewer coats to obtain the required DFT.Coastline Industrial Coatings is emphasizing the importance of high solids coatings for...
Setting the Bar for Offshore Coating Systems
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Make Your Own Gourmet Gift Baskets
Everyone loves to receive a gift basket. Corporate gift baskets are often given by businesses to their customers as a token of their appreciation. However, most gift baskets are person to person expressions of love and friendship.You can find a great selection of online gift baskets from the very expensive to the cheap. Or, you can come up with your own unique gift basket idea and surprise a cherished friend or loved one.It's not difficult to make your own personalized gift baskets. Most gift...
Thinking Out of the Box
Coats > Make Your Own Gourmet Gift Baskets
NaturalOzone.com Announces Product Expansion
(ContentDesk) July 11, 2004 -- NaturalOzone.com, an online retailer and distributor of ozone generators and machines, announces the addition of new products to its product line."We've been doing some research in our market and customers, and we've found a need to improve product variety," states Joseph Lutes, owner of Natural Ozone and NaturalOzone.comThe current product line at NaturalOzone.com are ozone generators with a production level from 300 mg/hour to 12000 mg/hour. They are targeted...
Thinking Out of the Box home generator Coats
Coats > NaturalOzone.com Announces Product Expansion
Lyra Projects Revenue from Retail Digital Photo Printing Will Exceed $4 Billion Worldwide in 2008
A new report from Lyra Research finds that worldwide revenue from retail printing of photos captured with digital cameras will grow from approximately $900 million in 2003 to $4.3 billion in 2008, a robust compound annual growth rate of 36 percent. The comprehensive report, Consumer Photo-Printing Market: Where Digital Photos Will Be Printed, examines consumer behavior and the key issues and trends driving the digitally captured photo-printing market. The Lyra report explores divergent and dynamic...
Thinking Out of the Box Lyra Projects Revenue from Retail Digital Photo Printing Will Exceed $4 Billion Worldwide in 2008 photo printers Coats
Coats > Lyra Projects Revenue from Retail Digital Photo Printing Will Exceed $4 Billion Worldwide in 2008
New Preclick?-powered Photo Organizer Software Leverages Latest HP Imaging and Printing Technology
Preclick Corporation today announced the availability of CD-Viewer and Photo Organizer software, built with HP's industry-leading imaging and printing technology, for retailers, peripheral manufacturers and online service providers. Licensees can customize, brand and distribute software copies to customers, enhancing home digital photography.Adorama, the nation's #2 mail-order photo retailer, announced today it will distribute the Preclick-powered Photo Organizer software with orders and at its...
Thinking Out of the Box New Preclick?-powered Photo Organizer Software Leverages Latest HP Imaging and Printing Technology photo printers Coats
Coats > New Preclick?-powered Photo Organizer Software Leverages Latest HP Imaging and Printing Technology