Ask an expert! 01/26/2010
 
Get loads of FREE resources, audio programs, ebooks, etc. The GREAT Organizing Give Away! www.AskTheExpertOrganizers.com
Add Comment
 
 
Tidy Tiger Solutions teaming up with Calahan Solutions, Inc. and other professional organizers and virtual assistants make the most of Get Organized Month January 2010!

Many people use the start of a new year to think of ways in which they can improve their lives, and becoming more organized can help save time and money, increase productivity, enhance one's quality of life, and reduce stress. 

Disorganization can have a significant negative effect on your business and personal life. In a recent survey, the Professional Organizers in Canada association found that 53% of us believe we live in a state of "controlled chaos" and that 67% do not know how to begin the task of organizing our lives.Although just about everyone seems to understand the benefits of being organized, it's not always easy to figure out just where to start. 

To highlight ways in which people can become more organized in their office, with their time and in their home, professionals from around the globe will be participating in the first ever "Great Organizing Give Away".

Tidy Tiger is proud to be part of this great endeavor and urges you to sign up for Tidy Times Newsletter, collect your free gifts and watch for upcoming announcement soon. All readers will be getting a link to the free gifts and the link to the official website where you can sign up free resources such as eBooks, tip sheets, audio programs and more.

As well as enter into drawings for amazing prizes!!

Information will be categorized into three main categories: your office, your time and your home.  Business professionals, parents and students will all find expert material that fits their personal productivity and organization needs.

Sign up now and enjoy free gifts soon.

   
Add Comment
 
 
In today’s world recycling is such an important issue. In every home we have a steady stream of various materials such as cardboard, paper, newsprint, plastic, bottles and cans. 

For some it is hard to keep up and the recycle bin can quickly become a big jumbled mess and make recycling a big chore that it just doesn’t need to be.

I know in my building when I go to the downstairs bins where we deposit this stuff I find myself disappointed in some of my neighbors as I find the bins all mixed up with the wrong items. I find paper in the containers bin, cardboard in the newsprint bin and sometimes plastics in with the paper. 

I guess it is a hassle to stand down there and separate the items properly and so they just get tossed in any which bin is closest and it seems to me a bit of a shame. 

Well to help solve this dilemma and make recycling easy and convenient try setting up a recycling centre in your home to properly sort materials quickly and make recycling a breeze.

What you’ll need:

* Space for it to go. (Decide where and take some measurements so you know what can fit there.)

* 3-5 wide, interlocking bins with open faces and tops to make sorting easy.

* Labels, or even better metal label holders which can be screwed to the front of each bin.

* A dolly, wide enough to hold the bins stacked on top. (Use utility drawer latches to secure the bottom bin to the dolly so it won’t slide off when moved.)

Now the whole bin can be kept in the garage or near the entrance, where it can easily be rolled out to the curb or down to the recycle room of your condo with minimal effort.

Keep in mind for condo living large wheels on dolly serve better to go over thresholds and elevator door cracks.
Add Comment
 
 

This week we have the pleasure of receiving some valuable tips on how to preserve your precious memories.

Our organizing partner “Golden Legacy Preserved Ltd” has thoughtfully provided some very good information and if you have photos that you want to make sure stay precious, I urge you to read this article for the full scoop…

Here is a common concern:
"My photos are fading away! I wanted to show to my grandchildren the photos when I was pregnant with their parents, but now is too late; the photos have scratches and have almost completely faded away".

Here is part of the problem:
Chemicals on the photos and slides keep reacting over time. Some color images show marked deterioration in only 10 years turning blue, yellow or red in most cases. The color dyes used in photo prints, slides and negatives will irreversibly decay overtime.

Changes in temperature and humidity produce one kind of fading, changes in lighting conditions are responsible for other kind of fading. The oil in our hands and dust in the environment are also responsible for deterioration that will become more evident overtime.

What can we do to protect our valuable photos?
The decaying process is progressive and irreversible but it can be slowed down by careful storage and handling of the photos.

Color photos will last longer if stored in the dark, in a cool dry location. The worst place to store old photographs is in the basement (too damp) or attic (too hot).

Do not stack them on top of each other, photos are easily scratched and should be stored in archival plastic or paper sleeves. Most inexpensive photo albums could damage the photos. Particularly, avoid albums with sticky adhesive pages.

Be careful when removing fragile photo prints, slides and negatives from boxes, sleeves and photo albums. Avoid touching of surface areas and do not force the photos off from the photo album or from each other.

Another more permanent solution would be to professionally transfer them to CD or DVD.

If professionally scanned, photos can then be digitally enhanced with specialized software to help restore the faded dyes to a point somewhere near to original appearance, depending on the extent of the damage. Some minor scratches could also be repaired by qualified technicians. This solution has many benefits; not only the photos will last a lifetime on a CD or DVD but you can also copy and share them with family and friends all around the world and the quality will never deteriorate regardless of how many times you play them or make copies out of them.

_______________________

Thank you Golden Legacy for your helpful information, I am sure many readers will learn some important things about storing their precious memories.

To help get your photo in order, call us, Tidy Tiger, yet when you need to have your memories preserved contact Golden Legacy Preserved Ltd

Golden Legacy professionally transfers Photos/Slides, VHS/Camcorder, LP/Cassettes to CD/DVD with great attention to details.. 

   "Golden Legacy Preserved Ltd. has my highest recommendation. What impressed me the most about Golden Legacy was Luis. He has passion and knowledge, so your legacy is in good hands!" Michelle

Visit them today to learn more… www.GoldenLegacy.ca
or call 604-527-0515 to speak with them today.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Bingo: "This place is a complete mess! It makes me feel like I am living in a cage!"

Bongo: "You are in a cage dummy!"

Bingo: "You know what I mean drum-head. Every night we party hardy and wake up to this crazy mess! We need some help to tidy up for good."

Bongo: "I've got an idea. Let's call the Tiger."

Bingo: "A Tiger?! Are you kidding a tiger will tear us apart and we'll be the ones that are a crazy mess! I'm scared already!"

Bongo: "Don't be silly Bingo, Tidy Tiger will just come in and help us organize ourselves better so we don't have to have such a hard time playing and working around all this clutter!"

Bingo: "But our place is only 3 square feet. It's probably too small for them to bother with?"

Bongo: "Not so, I heard no job is too small for Tidy Tiger."

Bingo: "Grrreat!

  To my old pets, thanks for the laughs. Michelle
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
A New Year always seems to come with resolutions. I read somewhere recently that the average resolution only lasts 6 days. Sounds more like your average bout with a cold to me.

I guess a big problem is that we try to do too much all at once, making some huge commitment to change all at once, overnight. Yeah, like that works! We get all enthusiastic about what we want to do and try to do it all in one shot and then end up falling off the ladder. We get back on and try again, and then fall off again. Wow, that sounds kind of like the last time I tried to put myself on a diet.
It comes down to habits. If we don’t adopt successful habit changing methods, we may just keep falling off the ladder and then get discouraged and quit.

Well this year, lets take a look at how we can use some habit changing methods to change that, one or two habits at a time. Lets not try to change every habit all at once, because the more we try to do the less the chance of success. When we can change just one or two habits then we can move to the next.

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So if we start with something like remembering to organize our desk tops at the end of each working day, by February we will have mastered that and can move to the next habit of making sure our “To be filed” piles and “out box” are emptied daily.

With a small amount of initial discipline let’s start out. Here are some tips to help create those new habits and make them stick. 

1.      Commit to 21 days. Mark your calendar with the start and end dates of this venture. It will help motivate you when you see the date is really not that far away.  

2.      Start simple. Don’t worry about perfection and don’t try to completely change your work habits in a day. It is easy to take on too much. Just do a little, but do it everyday.  

3.      Set reminders. About two weeks in you may start to forget why you started, maybe some of the pain that drove you to making the change has subsided. Place reminders in your view so you don’t forget your goal. If you stop in the middle it defeats the purpose of starting in the first place.  

4.      Get a buddy. A co-worker, a family member, and on-line friend, whoever you can trust to support you and keep you motivated.  

5.      Stay positive. If negative thoughts come into your mind like “I’m no good at this”, replace it with, “I’m struggling with this now, but soon I will be much better at it.”  

6.      Make room to succeed. If clearing your desk off is a priority, have the proper tools, like a desk file sorter, to put your files into. Whatever the goal consider what you need to make it a reality.  

7.      Use a Role Model. If you know someone who is really great at what you want to do, spend time with them, learn from them and try to mirror them.  

8.      Consider the benefits. Get books, read articles and familiarize yourself with the benefits of a change. Imagine yourself enjoying those benefits.  

9.      Know the pain. Be aware of the consequences of not changing. Expose yourself to realistic information about the downside to not changing. This will add some motivation.  

10.   Do it for yourself. Don’t let other “Should” on you. Doing things out of guilt makes for an empty resolution.
Add Comment