How Long Does it Take to Get Organized?

Q. How long will it take?

A. Most clients have years of accumulation in their homes and offices so it takes a few to several sessions to accomplish organizing goals. Some clients also like routine maintenance visits.

Organizing is a process, and not a "quick fix." It didn't take you overnight to get disorganized, so it's not going to be an overnight process. The biggest thing that Kiera is going to help you with is getting to the CORE reasons, emotions and behaviors as to why you've been struggling with disorganization. If you commit to working through the process, Kiera will create a lasting transformation, once and for all, for your space and life.

The average room, not including closets, in a home will take about 2-3 days of solid work to complete, and the average one-person office will take about 3 days to complete. However, some small jobs (like a bathroom) will take less, and some big jobs (like a basement or overstuffed garage) may take more. If it's chronic disorganization status or hoarding, it will take even longer to get through all of the piles and above average amount of stuff accumulated in the home or office. It also depends on how well you complete your homework--some clients are great at getting goals accomplished in-between sessions, making the process faster. Either way, the job will be completed when you hire Kiera Rain, Bay Area Professional Organizer.

Q. What do you recommend for scheduling sessions?

A. Commit to a few to several sessions to gain control over the clutter and have systems in place for functionality. The commitment to follow-through to the end, allows Kiera to help you get to the CORE issues of your disorganization, breaking bad habits and clearing the clutter once and for all. It is strongly recommended that the first two sessions be scheduled as closely together as possible, two back-to-back days to start is best, and then schedule one session a week thereafter.

Q. Is there a minimum/maximum time frame that you work?

A. Each session is 5 hours in length. This allows Kiera and the client to accomplish more, in less sessions.

Q. What are your hours of operation?

A. Bay Area Professional Organizer realizes that every client has a different lifestyle with a different schedule so it is not the typical 9-5 company. The below schedule helps accommodate clients with all kinds of different personal/work schedules:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Q. What is your service area?

A. Bay Area Professional Organizer travels to San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, as well as some North and South Bay Areas. There are NO Travel Fees!

Tuesday, March 4th Lunch and Learn in San Ramon: Tackling Paper Clutter! Free Admittance, Lunch Provided!

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Bay Area Professional Organizer Stop Staring at Clutter--Get Organized with Kiera Rain

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” ― Robert Frost

Join Us! Join Kiera Rain, owner of Bay Area Professional Organizer, at the Bishop Ranch Lunch and Learn in ONE WEEK! Mark your calendars now! Lunch Provided! Free Admittance! Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Time: Noon to 1pm! Address: Bishop Ranch Business Complex 2603 Camino Ramon Suite 285 San Ramon, California 94583 Are you sick of staring at paper clutter? Confused by all of your old files, paper piles, and what to keep/not keep? Consumed by overwhelming to-do lists and not enough time in your day to tackle it all? Is your home office running a-muck also? Kiera will be giving out Organizing Tips left and right to transform your office and reign in the Paper Terror, just in time for Tax Time! Pick her brain, see real before and after pictures, and learn empowering organizing tricks! Kiera Rain has been a Professional Organizer for Homes, Offices and Businesses since 2003. She has practiced in West Virginia, Georgia and California. To learn more about Kiera Rain, please visit her website at http://www.BayAreaProfessionalOrganizer.com. See you soon at the March Lunch and Learn! ________________________________ Bishop Ranch hosts Business-to-Business seminars through the Community and Outreach team at their business park. Established in 1978 by Sunset Development Company, Bishop Ranch is a 585-acre, mixed-use business community comprising 9 million square feet of office space in 30 buildings that are all LEED certified and have all been Energy Star rated. Bishop Ranch is home to 30,000 corporate tenants and 425 + corporate companies. Their tenants include: Robert Half, Bank of the West, PG&E, and Chevron to name a few. Each month they offer free 1 hour lunch and learn seminars to the tenants and invitees on a variety of different topics. They generally get 40 attendees from different companies. They advertise thru their Inside Bishop Ranch Newsletter, Tuesday email blasts and their Facebook page. Contact for More Event Information: Monica Magee Community & Outreach Manager BISHOP RANCH A Sunset Development Project 925-543-0100 www.bishopranch.com NEW Blog: From the Desk of an Organizer Get Motivational Support for De-Cluttering to De-Stress by Kiera Rain, Bay Area Professional Organizer! See ALL past E-Newsletters! Check out Blurbs, Jokes, FAQ from Readers, Before and After Pics and More! http://bayareaprofessionalorganizer.blogspot.com/

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10 Ways Nannies (Or Parents) Can Organize a Toddler's Toys!

10 Ways Nannies Can Organize a Toddler’s Toys

Part of a nanny’s regular duties include keeping their charge’s rooms, play areas and the family’s common living areas clear of clutter. This is no easy feat when today’s toddler accumulates such a staggering array of toys. Harried parents, especially those that work extended hours, may not have time to work out an organizational system to keep disorder to a minimum. For nannies who find themselves swimming in a sea of toddler toys, here are 10 tips for storing toys in a functional manner.

1. Keep it Low – Unless you want to spend your day fetching toys for your pint-sized charges, make sure that the bulk of your storage system is engineered for their short stature. Vertical storage may be great for older kids, but it just creates frustration in toddlers and can inspire them to embark on unsafe climbing expeditions for the things they want but can’t reach.
2. Use Bins and Baskets – While the number of toys your charges have acquired may have outgrown their toy box, you may not have the option of purging older items without your employer’s consent. Rather than risk overstepping your boundaries by putting older toys aside as new toys come in, arrange a series of bins and baskets to contain the overflow.
3. Store Like With Like – Keeping toy trucks in one container and blocks in another helps a toddler find exactly what he’s looking for without emptying each and every bin of its contents during his search. This method also makes clean up easier for both you and your  charges when playtime ends.
4. Keep Shelves Safe – Even low-slung shelves can present a tipping hazard if they’re pulled on with enough force, which can easily happen when a toddler attempts to climb them. Anchoring shelves to make them safe and to prevent injuries as a result of a top-heavy tip-over is an essential part of organizing kids’ rooms.
5. Make Favorites Easy to Find – Most children, even at the toddler stage, have a few favorite toys that see far more action than the others. Keeping these perennial favorites in easy reach makes her less likely to take out several toys that don’t quite live up to her expectations simply because her old faithfuls are nowhere to be found.
6. Store Special Occasion Toys Out of Sight – Modeling dough, bubble solution and any other messy toys that must be used with close supervision are best stored out of sight to help reduce the temptation to pull them out before you’re prepared to deal with the ensuing mess. By keeping these toys stowed away, you can also generate a ton of excitement when you do present them.
7. Make Clean Up Part of Your Routine Together – Children thrive when they have a relatively stable daily routine; making clean-up a regular part of your day and working together to put everything away helps toddlers understand that cleaning up is part of playing and that he’s partially responsible for helping to accomplish that task.
8. Designate Containers For Toys in Common Areas – If your employers allow their children to play with toys in common areas like the living or family rooms, designating one bin or container per child is an effective way of corralling toys while still keeping them separated. Color-coding containers helps kids who aren’t reading pick out their own bin as they get a bit older as well.
9. Hammocks For Stuffed Animals – Most toddlers have already amassed an impressive collection of stuffed animals and plush toys, but probably only have one or two favorites. Toy hammocks are a great solution because they are easy to put up and can accommodate several toys safely. Make sure, however, that hammocks are placed in a manner that doesn’t encourage scaling furniture in order to reach the toys inside.
10. Labels Are Your Friend – While your toddler-aged charges might not be able to read, labels are still among the most useful organizational tool at your disposal. You’re not likely to remember which bin is designated for each kind of toy without a clue; labeling containers helps you keep track of them and makes clean-up time as short as possible.  Labels that have both pictures and words can also promote word recognition.

Before you get carried away with grand organizing plans, make sure that you clear your ideas with your employer. In most cases, busy parents are more than happy to consider your plans objectively in order to cut down on the toy-filled clutter of their homes, so don’t hesitate to present your ideas in a respectful manner. Remember, without the participation of your employers, your system will only be effective while you’re on the clock and enforcing the cleanup rules.

Reprinted with permission from FullTimeNanny.com

Upcoming Events: Time Management Teleseminar!

Preview this email in your browser. Bay Area Professional Organizer "De-Clutter to De-Stress!"  Get Organized with Kiera Rain What can you do today to give yourself peace of mind? TOMORROW: FREE 45 Min Time Management Teleseminar! Don't Miss This! Do you ever feel overwhelmed with your duties, tasks and responsibilities? If I could offer you a solution, would you be interested? Then don’t miss the FREE “Time Management 101 Seminar” put on by Christoph Nauer, Life & Business Coach, on Thursday, February 20 at 5:00 p.m. PST. Sign up and get call details at http://4argjbdb.megaph.com The key to getting out of overwhelm is to consistently apply time management techniques and to simplify your life. Everyone today has too much to do, and too little time during which to do it. So why do some people seem less overwhelmed than others? Because they learned to manage their activities and to simplify. During this FREE 45 min. “Time Management 101 Seminar” you will learn: • ways to double your productivity (really! Use these and you get twice as much done in the same amount of time) • One thing you can do to increase your productivity by 25% the very first day (anyone can do it!) • A formula for deciding which tasks to complete, in which order – and which tasks to eliminate completely • When it’s okay to procrastinate (sound counter-intuitive? I can explain) • A daily discipline that increases your productivity by 5 and 10 times • What you must STOP doing in order to become excellent at time management • 20 major time wasters in the world of work today As a business owner and most importantly, a husband, a father and a friend--Christoph knows what it’s like to have a lot to do – and what it feels like not to have enough time to do it. The good news is that he learned to prioritize & simplify, and you can, too. He can help you to organize, prioritize, and better manage your time, with his "Time Management 101" seminar. Sign up here: http://4argjbdb.megaph.com Learning a skill that allows you to live with greater peace of mind, and spend more time with the people you love is absolutely priceless. Please forward this to anyone else you think might be interested. Join Us! Join Kiera Rain, owner of Bay Area Professional Organizer, at the Bishop Ranch Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, March 4th! Mark your calendars now! Lunch Provided! Free Admittance! Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Time: Noon to 1pm Address: Bishop Ranch Business Complex 2603 Camino Ramon Suite 285 San Ramon, California 94583 Are you sick of staring at paper clutter? Confused by all of your old files, paper piles, and what to keep/not keep? Consumed by overwhelming to-do lists and not enough time in your day to tackle it all? Is your home office running a-muck also? Kiera will be giving out Organizing Tips left and right to transform your office and reign in the Paper Terror, just in time for Tax Time! Pick her brain, see real before and after pictures, and learn empowering organizing tricks! Kiera Rain has been a Professional Organizer for Homes, Offices and Businesses since 2003. She has practiced in West Virginia, Georgia and California. To learn more about Kiera Rain, please visit her website at http://www.BayAreaProfessionalOrganizer.com. See you soon at the March Lunch and Learn! ________________________________ Bishop Ranch hosts Business-to-Business seminars through the Community and Outreach team at their business park. Established in 1978 by Sunset Development Company, Bishop Ranch is a 585-acre, mixed-use business community comprising 9 million square feet of office space in 30 buildings that are all LEED certified and have all been Energy Star rated. Bishop Ranch is home to 30,000 corporate tenants and 425 + corporate companies. Their tenants include: Robert Half, Bank of the West, PG&E, and Chevron to name a few. Each month they offer free 1 hour lunch and learn seminars to the tenants and invitees on a variety of different topics. They generally get 40 attendees from different companies. They advertise thru their Inside Bishop Ranch Newsletter, Tuesday email blasts and their Facebook page. Contact for More Event Information: Monica Magee Community & Outreach Manager BISHOP RANCH A Sunset Development Project 925-543-0100 www.bishopranch.com Fan on Facebook and Forward this email to a friend Follow on Twitter Copyright © 2013 Bay Area Professional Organizer You are currently signed up for Organizing Tips and Tricks Email. Every time a new e-newsletter is sent out by Kiera Rain, Bay Area Professional Organizer, a Tree is Planted!