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Lifestyle
Organizing as a profession
By The Clutter Fairy
As the owner of The Clutter Fairy Professional Organizing Services,
many people ask me what a professional organizer does. Professional
Organizers are people who provide information and assistance to help
others get and stay organized. Their main job is to restore order and
functionality to any space through understanding the needs of a
client. They perform many organizing tasks. These tasks include
residential and small business organization; time and paper
management; clutter control; behavior modification; space planning;
event planning; filing system set up; financial management;
packing/moving; photography/memorabilia; home offices; to name a few.
Professional Organizers can provide ideas, information, structure,
solutions and systems that can increase productivity, reduce stress,
and lead to more freedom with time, space, and activities.
After a few years of helping friends, family, and my husband (my most
difficult project) stay organized I decided to turn my passion into my
career. I started the company because I know how easy it is to become
overwhelmed by too many projects and not enough time in the day to get
it all done. That is why people of all different backgrounds and ages
use professional organizers. People in the midst of life-changing
transitions; the overworked mother/father; small companies and
entrepreneurs; homeowners, apartment and condo dwellers; people trying
to regain control over their time, space and paper are just a few
examples of our clientele.
At The Clutter Fairy our main priority is to create a level of
simplicity in which you can live and work stress free. Another top
priority is to create easy to maintain organizational systems so that
people will spend very little time trying to keep the order in their
life and will be able to have more free time to do the things they
enjoy. Each one of our clients is treated individually and their needs
are assessed as such.
The process of using a professional organizer is simple. Our services
are designed to be flexible to your needs and your deadlines. A plan
will be established during the initial free consultation to determine
the level of our involvement. The involvement may range from offering
suggestions/counseling or actually performing the work, varying from
doing one project at a time to doing a complete package on an extended
timeline. Please give The Clutter Fairy a call with your requests and
we will create an estimate of our fees and the time required. The
company’s #1 priority is meeting your needs and your expectations.
We would love to hear from you and set up an initial free
consultation. Please call Fernanda at 310-9382 and start a new
organized life today!
 Why
Journal?
By Mary D’Agostino
Human being’s have been keeping written logs of their lives for at
least a thousand years. Call it what you will—diary, journal. Whatever
name you choose matters not. Picking up a pen, putting thoughts,
reflections, frustrations or dreams to paper gives them substance, a
place in the scheme of things and perhaps even a direction on the
great journey of life.
Psychologists worldwide recognize the power of journal writing.
Popular media-Dr. Phil and Oprah for example, are constantly touting
the benefits. How do you go about starting a journal or learning new
and exciting ways to journal? What is it about this particular art of
communication that is so beneficial?
Writing is a simple form of self reflection, self discovery and self
validation. It is inexpensive and readily available. Keeping a journal
is like having a best friend who never talks back. Simply find
yourself a notebook that fits your fancy and don’t forget the writing
tool. Make it a pen that flows and feels good in your hand. Journaling
is a connection of mind, heart and hand. So until you really get the
hang of it do not use your computer. If you are a former journaler and
have let life get in the way of your practice, perhaps it is time to
pick that pen back up, dust off that journal and open to some new
techniques.
Some simple rules to remember for novices and veterans alike:
1. You do not have to be a writer to journal. Everyone can journal,
beautifully. It is all about discovering your voice, your inner
wisdom, your unique self. You are the master of your life-as you might
have heard, but have you ever stopped to listen to the master?
Journaling is a great way to listen to the most important person in
your life—you. Being a prolific or poetic writer has nothing to do
with it. It is almost guaranteed though that you will amaze yourself
as some of the most heart felt words flow together on the pages of
your journal. Words that came straight from you.
2. Writing can take as little as five minutes a day. Giving yourself
five minutes to journal is sufficient time. Five continuous minutes.
Who does not have five minutes to give to the most inexpensive,
results oriented holistic therapy tool around? Take your journal with
you. Find a quiet spot during your day and turn your cell phone off
for five minutes and write.
That’s it, two rules and the rest of the time, do not follow rules.
Allow yourself to write without boundaries. That is the point to
journaling. No one knows you like you know yourself, you just need to
give yourself permission to explore and discover.
There are many different types of journals to explore, some include
the cathartic journal, the log journal, healing journal, theme
journal, spiritual journal and dream journal. The benefits of any type
of journal are clarity of purpose, creative expression, healing
physical and emotional crisis, self discovery and personal discovery.
Go ahead and try your hand at this age old art, you will be pleasantly
surprised and delighted.
For more information and to enjoy a group or one on one session
exploring the art of journaling, please contact:
Mary D’Agostino
970-988-5090
marydagostino@comcast.net
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE!
By Eileen Blood,
Companion Connections
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine”! We sang it over and over as
Auntie smiled and clapped her hands. It was so wonderful to see her
beautiful smile and receive those wonderful hugs as we had on such a
good day. Were all days good? No! Auntie was diagnosed about ten years
ago with Alzheimer’s Dementia and we cared for her five years in our
home. Was it difficult? Yes, there were times, but our lives have been
so blessed by loving, caring and holding her tightly as she had those
experiences that come with the dementia process. Sometimes, what
worked best was to just be there for her and do whatever worked on
that particular day. In all this I continue to remind myself that the
Lord never gives us more than we can handle and we, as always, must
continue to ask for His grace and goodness to fill our lives.
We know there are many of you out there who have or are experiencing
with a loved one this same disease process. Know that you are not
alone by any means and that your loved one needs to feel love from you
and your family. At times it is difficult to refrain from trying to
reason with the individual and make them understand what has or is
happening to them. However, we found that the most effective way to
deal with the disease and its process was to just be with the person
wherever they were and be in the moment with them. Reasoning and logic
are usually ineffective methods and may not always work because they
are in a different place than you are. It is up to you to understand
their place and time and not expect them to come to your point of
understanding.
The most essential thing my husband and I were able to do for our
Auntie was to provide the best possible love and care for her in our
home. We had companions in our home for 4½ years helping us to care
for Auntie. While Auntie did not know any of these companions by their
names, the contact and continuity they provided for her allowed Auntie
to develop a tremendous love for all her caregivers; she lit up when
she saw them each day. These companions gave my husband and me the
opportunity to continue our work and yet, at the same time, we knew
that she was in a loving, caring, and nurturing environment. They also
provided us with the respite care that we needed. We learned that by
taking time for ourselves, my husband and I were able to give more to
her because our cups of love were replenished and overflowing.
Auntie was 92 years old when she passed away in November of 2002. Each
day we prayed that the Lord would continue to bless us with patience
as we dealt with her increasing illness. As the days turned into years
our understanding increased and we continued to grow with her in her
disease process. It is our privilege to pray with each of you as you
care for and love that special person, and that you will develop the
patience and love that you need. It is hard to understand the effects
of Alzheimer’s Dementia until you have “walked in the moccasins” of
the one affected. We have experienced all the emotions - crying,
laughing, and loving - and you will also. We will continue to sing,
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine”. God bless each of you as you
go forth in this calling to assist your special person in their
journey to peace and understanding.
Auntie is our inspiration for Companion Connections. Companion
Connections is a very affordable companion service that provides meal
preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, recreational activities,
transportation, medication reminders, and personal care such as
assistance with bathing, transfers and grooming. It is our delight and
pleasure to assist so many people in remaining in their own home
environments. We have over 430 wonderful companions who go out and
serve our friends in the various communities we serve. Companion
Connections also provides respite services to families who just need a
break or vacation. If you need assistance from people who truly
understand, please give us a call and we will be glad to personalize
services just for you or your loved one.
During the last part of year 2003, we felt a need to develop an
organization that focused on those who could not afford to access
services. Companion Connections has funded the development and
administrative costs of this non-profit organization, Companion
Connections. Services were begun in February of 2004. The same
services provided to Companion Connections’ clients are provided to
our financially challenged clients. In the year 2004, Companion
Connections provided 6,664.5 hours of services to families who had no
other means of receiving help. This too is the work of the Lord. We
need your prayers and financial assistance to be able to continue this
program. These gifts are tax deductible. It is with grateful hearts
that we thank those who have participated with us in this effort. May
the Lord bless you each one. Please contact us for additional
information on this program.
Eileen Blood, Executive Director
EBlood@eldercareconnections.com
www.CompanionConnections.org
Larimer/Weld Counties -
(970) 278-0010 or toll free 1-866-307-0010
Boulder/Adams Counties - (720) 652-9486 or toll free 1-866-307-0010
NE Colorado Counties - (970) 542-0685 or toll free 1-866-307-0010
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