It has been my pleasure over the past year to share in a wonderful experience with Partners in Care.  We have partnered together to give the community some wonderful information on “Downsizing with Dignity” and “Health Care Directives” and also “Document Information and Organization”. 

There may come a time in the life of your senior loved one when they face the need to downsize. Whether they are moving into a smaller home, an assisted living facility, or in with you, downsizing may seem a daunting task. Even the need to modify an existing home in order to make it safer or to accommodate equipment like wheelchairs can mean treasured furniture and other items have to be removed from the home.

It is my goal to help you understand that downsizing can be for anyone, not just for an elderly person who is moving to a care facility or retirement community.  You could be downsizing because your home seems extremely large, now that all the kids have moved out and are on their own, or you have moved to another city or state to start over.  For any reason for your move, it can be very daunting and hard.  There are more elements to a move than just putting your items in a box.

If you have sold your home, you are probably expected to take care of some inspection issues, like a new roof or furnace.  When you move you want the place to be perfect for the new buyer so you will need to hire a carpet cleaner, house cleaner, and window cleaner. Do you trust your mover?  How do you decide who is best for you? Are you putting any items in storage?  Are you going to give your kids some of your belongings now so they can enjoy them, instead of storing them for later?

If you are moving to downsize to a retirement community, get your family involved.  Take pictures of your home now with all your belongings.  Measure your new place and decide which items you want to take with you; the items that will make you happy.  Give your children or family member’s the items you want them to have to enjoy now.  Make a list of what you want them to have later.

I am wonderful at Project Management and helping in all the areas of above.  I am also great at being the go-between with families that are struggling with difficult moves.  So please do not hesitate to giving me a call to help you.

To also help meet these needs and share in some important information,  I am  offering free seminars titled, “Downsizing with Dignity”, which includes ”Document Information and Organization”, and “Elderly Safety in the Home”. These two seminars are held in various locations in Central Oregon and the program is open to all individuals who care for or anticipate caring for aging parents, or want the information for themselves.
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If you would like to host one of these free seminars, or your company or organization wish to find out when the next seminar is being given then please give me a call today.

How do you feel about your kitchen?  Do you feel that it is organized and working for you?  Are the dishes washed, the counters, well… somewhat cleaned off and uncluttered, and you can find anything and everything?  Are you using your cupboards to their fullest capacity? Can you easily find what you need?

What if I told that with a simple process, some great music playing, and a little bit of your time; you can make your kitchen not only work fo¬r you but be the kitchen of your dreams.  If the kitchen of your dreams comes with new appliances and granite countertops, we will just save that discussion for another day. (Did I mention that I’m a great project manager?)

Let’s start by organizing your cooking/range area. Do you have the right utensils and supplies in handy locations for easy access?  You need your pots and pans, spices, and utensils to be right at your fingertips so you don’t waste time and energy searching through all your cabinets, especially if you are in the middle of a particularly complicated recipe.

Consider the following ideas:

• Keep some of your most used utensils in pottery crocks on the countertop. This makes them convenient and easy to grab.
• Pots and pans should be kept in cabinets under, or right to the side of the stove for easy access.
• Alphabetize spices in a rack to make them easier to locate.

Next let’s organize your cabinets. Storage racks and container solutions can do wonders with your current spaces. Storage solutions such as stainless Rev-a-shelf products and stacking bins make use of dead space and help you use your entire lower cabinets.

• Stepped shelving makes use of the back space in a deep cabinet
• Drawer dividers keep utensils under control
• Rectangular storage containers take less space than round ones and stackable containers are obviously preferred.
• Line up pot lids and flat cookware in a vertical rack.
• Use overhead bins, cup hooks, and racks for hanging storage and save your counters for items you use daily.

Finally, let’s look at your pantry. You should group your items in like categories. This makes it easier to grab that certain ingredient for the dish you are making. It also makes your shopping list easier to prepare. You will automatically know what you are low on e.g., Tomato Sauce, soups, noodles, and cereals.

• Put canned goods and often used items at eye level.
• Pre-made spiced packets such as taco mix, salad dressings, or gravies should be stored in a basket with the labels facing up.
• Heavy items like flour, rice, and sugar should be stored on lower shelves.

Hopefully I have provided you enough tips to get started on re-organizing your kitchen. If you need that extra push and helping hand to make your kitchen the kitchen of your dreams, give me a call today.  I would love to help you.

​We all know what an energy audit is, but have you ever had an Office Efficiency Audit?  You have all heard the saying “time is money”, are you making sure your time is spent efficiently and effectively?''Whether your business is newly established or long running, at one time or another each office must face the challenges of becoming and staying organized and efficient.  The flow of business can be disrupted when an office is running inefficiently. By making just a few changes, organization can be increased and along with it become more productive. Here are some simple tips on how to keep an organized and efficient office.

Create a defined space. Chaos just seems to flow when there is not real organization or a place where things are supposed to get done. If your office does a lot of copying, create a copy space. Group printers, copiers and the needed supplies together so that staff is not running through the office looking for copy paper or toner.

If your office needs large spaces for layout, have tables and good lighting that allows for items to be laid out and collated quickly and most importantly correctly. If you have staff members that need to work together place their offices or cubicles close together so that valuable time is not wasted while trying to track another person down.

Use whatever technology is available. Technology has been one of the major driving forces in improving the efficiency of business offices. Make sure to take full advantage of any technology that will help you stay organized and get more accomplished.

As the head of your business, it is up to you to set the tone for efficiency, whether you work for yourself at home or in a busy office setting. One of the best ways to do this is to keep deadlines. There are a lot of time management programs available and most email programs even have task lists. Be sure and take advantage of them.

I would be happy to come in and evaluate your office situation and show you some great time management solutions and ideas.  Having an office audit periodically is a great way to ensure you are working effectively and efficiently which means, Time Makes Money.  Give me a call soon so I can help you.