It’s been a snowy day here in Richmond and It was a great opportunity to veg. Suze Orman was on the public television station talking about her “8 Qualities of Wealthy Woman.” As usual, everything Suze says can directly correlate with getting organized.

Her story is fascinating. She worked as a waitress until her early 30’s. A man she waited on for many years ended up lending her $50,000. He recommended she invest it. She made an attempt and the stock broker ended up being a pig who lost/stole all her money. She then decided she was going to become an ethical stock broker in an industry full of men. Many years later here she is “the expert.”

You can read her “8 Qualities of Wealthy Woman” on Oprah’s website. You can also buy her book “Women & Money” on her website. In the book she gets into the qualities in more depth. And let me tell you, her 8 qualities can be applied to anything in life.

Recently, I have been toying with podcasting. It’s been quite fun actually. I am officially on ITunes which is wild. I see this as an opportunity to teach organizing principles, tips and resources. I also see it as a great way to educate everyone on what it is that I do as Professional Organizer. So my podcasts aren’t just for those who want to be more organized, but they are great for anyone who wants to become an Organizer. I’ll be doing interviews with industry experts and authors. I even have an interview lined up with Peter Walsh!!!! The author of “Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat” and Professional Organizer on Clean Sweep on TLC. How cool is that?!!

Oh and if you have the time rate my podcast. I need your input. I have also put together a podcast survey so I can really find out who’s listening and what you want. If you fill out the survey by June 1st, you’ll get a copy of my e-book “80 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas” for FREE!

So get to it!

So here is my latest find.... It’s managemyhome.com from Sears. It’s a website where you can download all your product manuals. You can access a list of home maintenance to do’s so you don’t have to maintain your own list. You can also upload photos for insurance purposes and keep them on hand, online. I am sure there is more. I found out about this while watching Extreme Home Makeover. It looks like a great service. In fact I would say in 9 out of 10 homes that I work in there is no current system for the product manuals for the home. They are never in one place and on hand when they are needed. Which I know can be VERY frustrating. Now you can simply toss the manuals and always have a source online. Even if you haven’t purchased the item(s) from Sears. I also love the idea of having the photos of your home for insurance purposes online. If you ever do have a fire, you don’t have to worry about putting photos in a fire safe box or safety deposit box. They are saved online and accessible from anywhere. 

As some of you out there may know, my mother was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer early this year. She is doing well now and it appears the cancer is in remission. My mother was very lucky. She detected her cancer early and had very high chances of recovery.

Since cancer has entered our lives I have been made aware of the local NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition) chapter here in Richmond. They are a great bunch of ladies and they are doing so much to educate other woman about this horrible silent cancer. September is Ovarian Cancer Month and on September 16th, they will be hosting an event called Tea for Teal. This event is a great opportunity to learn more about ovarian cancer, meet local physicians, meet local woman who have first hand experience of what it’s like to live with ovarian cancer and proceeds for the event will go to further cancer research.

If you are interested in attending this event or someone in your life has ovarian cancer you can learn more by contacting Mary Gill at . Or you can visit the national website by going to www.ovarian.org. 

I’d say 80% of my clients are overwhelmed with books. Most of these clients will say they intend to pass the books to their friends or loved ones. The reality is they never do. The books are either covered with other clutter, or they have so many books it would take years for their friends to read them all.  I, for one, can completely understand this predicament. I am one who values a good book and I tend to save them as if they were trophies. I guess I figure everyone who comes to my home will see how smart I am. While reading my books I always have a friend in mind to give it to. But like my clients, I never pass them along. Well, I found a great resource today. BookMooch.com. Not only is this resource an opportunty to recycle a good book, but it’s FREE. (Well, you have to pay to ship the book). And yes, you can even exchange your book for another. However, I suggest you donate two, (maybe even three or four etc.) in exchange for one. 

Watching the today show this morning they mentioned the Vocation Vacation. It’s an opportunity to try out a dream job over a two or three day period. What an opportunity! It is very common for my clients to call on me because they want to make some big changes in their lives. Sometimes that change is a new job that is more fullfilling and enjoyable. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to try something new. Even if you have no intentions of leaving your job. You can find out more about it at http://www.vocationvacations.com/. You can learn what it’s like to make wine, to be an animal therapist, a comedian and much more.