Collector Care's Blog

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Cyber Monday Tips and Info

Cyber Monday is almost here! If you don't know what Cyber Monday is here is a quick wikipedia description:

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States, created by companies to persuade people to shop online. The term made its debut on November 28, 2005 in a Shop.org press release entitled "'Cyber Monday' Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year".

You've no doubt noticed that most brick and mortar stores actually offer many of their specials online alone with free or highly discounted shipping. Your email inbox should be loaded with coupons and discounts galore!
For all of you who may or may not have hit Black Friday shopping, there is still plenty of time to shop til you drop (or in this case until your eyes get tired) online from home.
Cyber Monday sales and deals may be better than Black Friday. There is a high probability that retailers will offer even better deals in order to prepare for Christmas inventory.
Just remember to:

Budget. Ordering online is almost effortless. Keep track of all your purchase costs so you don't have shoppers remorse when your credit card bill comes.
Have a plan. What or who are you shopping for. Try and keep this and your budget next to you while shopping. It's easy to forget someone or double gift if you don't have a tangible item in your hands right away.
After you shop, review your list and make sure you have not gone over your budget or missed anyone. The point of these shopping days are to Christmas shop with a budget. There really should be nothing left on your list to buy for people. In a perfect world, all packages arrive on time, in working order, exactly as you order them. You have them wrapped and under the tree and you miss all of the Christmas mall mayhem.

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer
I am located in Pleasanton Ca, and serve the San Francisco Bay Area.
I specialize in Hoarding Disorder, Chronic Disorganization and helping the overwhelmed with clutter. I love what I do, and I provide realistic expectations and timelines. Don't suffer in chaos any more. Every breath is a new beginning! Please visit my site at www.collectorcare.com
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Christmas Holiday Gift Checklist

Tis the season to be jolly ... until you get your credit card bill!

A great way to remember what you got for people and what you still need to get, is by creating a simple checklist. You can do this in excel, word or on a notebook with a pencil.
The categories are as follows:

TO:	FROM:	GIFT:	DELIVERED?	BUDGET	COST
FRED	BARNEY	DINO	FEDEX	$30	$24
BETTY	WILMA	PAN	HAND	$30	$42.99
			TOTAL	$60	$66.99

By keeping track of what you spend visually, it can help you curb your spending appetite. It is easy to get carried away shopping for everyone you know, finding the best deal and going into shopping overload.

Why do I write about shopping when I urge my clients not to shop? Around the holiday season we feel inclined to shop for those we care for. Instead of pretending that folks aren't shopping, I would like to address this head on, make a plan and move on.

Most importantly, for every item you buy yourself, bring the equivalent amount of items out immediately.
If you buy one blouse, grab an old blouse (before you even hang the new one up), go to a box marked "Donate" place the old one inside, and then hang the new one up.

Control your clutter, your time, and your financial freedom!

That's it for now folks! Please visit my site for more free organizing tips!
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

3 Black Friday Tips

I love to shop. Most of my clients love to shop. Black Friday, let's touch on this a bit.
I am going to speak from my experience in the Bay Area as a Black Friday shopper of 15 years.

Should you get up at the crack of dawn and shop? Heck yes. I have found the best deals as soon as the store opens its doors. Is it crazy? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely.

3 TIPS:

Budget. Know exactly how much you want to spend, and what you want to buy. Aimless shopping can lead to senseless shopping.
Set your alarm clock.
Start the first hour in a higher end store such as Macy's or Nordstrom (I believe Macy's opens several hours before Nordstrom). Barneys, Burberry, Saks, etc - you are not going to find them open early or a great deal. They don't need it. Don't have your heart set on a bargain.
* Macy's Union Square/ Walnut Creek. The first hour is amazing. Go to the department you like best first. There will be lines and it will be a little crazy. But it won't be as crazy as it will be in a few hours when most of the people wake up.
Plan your shopping trip. Unfortunately, once you have finished at Macy's nothing else is really open. If you are in the city, Juicy, Gucci, Barney's, etc aren't open until around 10am. Some stores within the Union Square Mall are open but not many. This is the same with Walnut Creek, with less options. So what do you do while you wait? You can bring your Macy's bags back to your car to kill time, you can grab a cup of coffee, you can read a book. Plan to have a couple hours downtime in between. If I have spent my budget I go home and relax!

Have fun shopping and remember to only purchase things you LOVE. If you aren't feeling it - don't buy it. Save yourself from buyers remorse or from adding more clutter to your life. Don't overspend, and try not to get anything you need to return. Most people end up shopping again when they come back to return items.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

3 Tips On Organizing A Successful Thanksgiving Dinner

With it being exactly one week away from Thanksgiving, how well prepared are you for your feast?
Are you hosting? Are you bringing something to a party?

Know how many will be in attendance so that you have enough food to make or bring.
Plan out your menu well in advance. Take ownership of the food that you have committed to prepare. Have recipes ready at hand for each item, by either printing them out or saving the webpage or book page. I suggest to not try new recipes on Thanksgiving day. If you are itching to try a new recipe, prepare it tonight or this weekend. This way you will know if you like the dish, or if you have to adjust the recipe, instead of finding out the day of.
Make a detailed grocery list from your recipes. I suggest shopping a couple of days before hand so that if you missed something, you have time to run out and get it. (Haven't we all been there!)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

3 Quick Tips On Planning Your Vacation

How organized are you? Studies show that packages and rates are less expensive the farther out that you book.
Get organized by following a few simple tips:

Keep all documentation evenevery confirmation number. Record when you called places and with whom you spoke to, preferably getting a first and last name. Have these handy when you arrive to make your checking in experience less stressful.
Check the weather. This allows you to know exactly what to pack. Layering is always good if you are unsure.
Budget your trip. Look into fees that you wouldn't expect. Extra luggage, parking, and transportation fees should all be taken into account.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

3 Tips For Organizing Antiques

3 Tips For Organizing Antiques

Make an artful asset of hard-to-store goods. "There never seems to be cabinet space deep enough to hold platters," says Joanna Madden. She solves the dilemma in her kitchen with a custom rack that displays the oversize dishes.

Bring baubles into the light. Instead of stashing jewelry in a drawer or box — where it tends to get tangled and forgotten — Madden corrals bangles in McCoy planters. To devise the perfect spot for beaded bracelets (these are from her own line), the designer covered particle board in gift wrap, then popped it into an antique frame. Each sparkler hangs from a pretty bridal-bouquet pushpin.

Take full advantage of vertical space. In any house, there are only so many tabletops on which to showcase stuff. So if you tend to amass large numbers of small collectibles, consider climbing the walls. These custom bookshelves in the living room, Madden says, "really allow me to indulge my love of American art pottery." Here's how she keeps the arrangement interesting.
1. Group similarly shaped items (fluted vases, trophy-like urns) together, but stagger heights and mix various creamy shades.
2. A few wild-card components, such as shells, architectural remnants, and tarnished silver vessels, prevent a monochromatic collection from becoming monotonous. Just keep 'em all muted, so they don't hog the spotlight.
3. Stacked books make great risers — providing the height needed to help fill up a tall shelf.

Read more: How to Organize Antiques - Tips to Declutter Vintage and Antiques - Country Living

Thursday, July 12, 2012

How To Organize A Succesful Garage Sale

HAVING A GARAGE SALE SOON?

Prepare your yard as if it were Halloween night. Remove anything that can be tripped over, including the dog, who should live elsewhere for the duration of the sale. Check the garage floor and driveway for slippery spots or hidden hazards. Tape down extension cords or cables.
Are you ready to make change? A muffin tin makes a good change holder. Be prepared with at least $20 in small bills and change. Or wear a fanny pack with at least two compartments; store bills in one, change in the other to process transactions quickly.

Ready, Set, Sell!

It's sale day. You've posted your signs at the crack of dawn and your wares lie waiting. Now's the time to play salesman.
To run a lively sale, don't sit there like a lump in a lawn chair! Get up and talk to people. Be excited and enthusiastic. Comment on cute children, bumper stickers and T-shirt slogans. Be bubbly and vivacious and share lots of information about that wonderful set of bed linens that you love and adore but no longer match your color scheme. Not only will you create enthusiasm and make sales, you'll meet neighbors you never knew you had, so it's smart to put your best foot forward.
Plan for at least two staffers for every yard sale, and more is better. One person acts as "background", shuffling cash, bringing coffee, keeping an active eye on everything. A cashier sits at the front with muffin tin or cash box. Leave the selling to the most enthusiastic salesperson.
Offer free coffee, and give your children a taste of private enterprise, entrusting them with a donut concession. If people are eating, they're staying--and if they're staying, they're buying. That's the point!

When The Sale Is Over

Wrap up your sale when you said you would. A yard sale is a lot of work, and you're still not finished. Dispose of the leftovers, either to the charity pick-up or by boxing and delivering the items yourself.
Be considerate of your neighbors and next week's yard sale enthusiasts. Remove all signs, and return your sale site to normal.
Then go count your proceeds--and take the family out to dinner. You've earned it!

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