Busy Bee Organizing Ottawa - Residential Organizing and Errand Services
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Blog

Give an experience Instead of stuff

12/6/2018

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Through the years we have been taught to believe that a mountain of gifts under the Christmas tree is what this beautiful holiday is about. At what point are there too many gifts? Before you head out to the mall to make that big purchase, consider giving something different this year.

Check out my holiday experience gift guide full of ideas for giving an experience and creating memories instead of adding to someone's pile of stuff. By giving an experience you can encourage a passion or indulge a loved one in something they wouldn't necessarily give themselves. Here are 8 gift worthy experiences:


1. Paint Nite: ​Enjoy a night out with your bestie while you sip on a glass of wine and create a masterpiece together.

2. Spa Day: If you are anything like me, you enjoy a good spa day to unwind! Some local Ottawa places I love are Le Nordik Spa and Exhalo Salt Spa.

3. Hair Cut: We all need to get our hair cut. Wouldn't it be nice if this expense was covered and all you had to do was show up and enjoy a relaxing wash and blow-dry? I know this is something us ladies would definitely appreciate (wink! wink!)

4. Netflix or Streaming Service Membership: This is one for the movie lover on your list! You could even include a few bags of microwavable popcorn for them as a treat.

5. Hire a helping hand: We all get overwhelmed from time to time and can't get everything done on our TO-DO list. Hiring someone to help around the house with cleaning or running errands will take some pressure off their plate. Pssst, I offer Errand Services and if you purchase a gift certificate by December 21st you will receive 10% off. Just thought I would mention it!

6. Cooking Class: Feel full by giving the gift of food!  Check out class schedules at your local Cordon Bleu or PC Cooking School.

7. Tickets: Whether it's catching a show down at Ottawa Little Theatre or going to a Senators hockey game at Canadian Tire Centre, it is bound to be a blast!

8. Museum Passes: ​Know someone who has kids? This is a great option for the whole family to enjoy a fun day out together.


Giving an experience isn’t necessarily cheaper than buying a physical present but making a memory with the ones you love is something you can cherish for years to come. The holidays are a time of celebration! I hope you find some way to make it a shared experience.​
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Create Your Own Home Emergency Kit

10/9/2018

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It has been a tough few weeks here in Ottawa. On September 21st, multiple tornadoes ripped through the valley which caused an enormous amount of devastation. I live in one of the neighbourhoods where a tornado touched down. I have seen the damage first hand and it is incredibley scary.
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When I was finally able to get back into my neighbourhood the evening of the storm, I went straight in my front door and grabbed candles to create light so we could see. We did not have power for over 60 hours. In the days that followed, I have asked myself, “How can we all be better prepared for an emergency or crisis?”. Mother nature does not send out a memo warning everyone when she is about to strike but we can all make sure we have the necessities we need on hand to help ourselves and our families during an emergency.

​I encourage you to take an hour in the near future and assemble your own home emergency kit. ​Here are my suggestions of what to include:
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*This list is a guideline. You know your family best so pack what you feel is appropriate. Always double check labels and storing instructions before packing items away.
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Why is an In-Home Assessment important?

7/24/2018

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New clients often contact me and ask if we can skip the In-Home Assessment. I strongly discourage this. While the client is truly the only one that knows the ins and outs of their own home, an assessment is the best way for us to begin working together as a team. This first meeting is crucial for painting a clear picture of your needs so that I as the organizer can customize a plan and provide you with the best results. 

The assessment is as much for me as it is for you. Before moving forward, it is important for me to make sure you are comfortable working with me. Part of my job involves going through your belongings and listening to stories from your life. These are often very private and intimate details that you wouldn't share with just anybody. In order for our future sessions to yield the best result, it is important that there is an underlying layer of trust between you and I. Change is never easy; that fact informs my compassionate, non-judgment approach. 

Organizing issues are very rarely limited to one room or area of the home. Quite often during the assessment, we will end up looking at the entire home even if I am just called in to help with one closet. All the different areas of your home and life are connected and can be affected by disorganization.

Assessments start with a tour of your home while you tell me what you identify the problems. I also like to hear about what IS working so we can build on the progress you have already made. I will suggest specific techniques that will work in your situation and also recommend useful supplies and products if I feel they are needed. You can then choose to execute the project yourself, book virtual coaching sessions with me to help keep you accountable, or hire me to complete the project with you in hands-on sessions. No matter what method you choose, I can help you achieve the best result!​​

Ready to book your In-Home Assessment? Contact me here.​
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When and Why Should You Hire a Professional Organizer?

5/1/2018

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When I first started my business a few people wondered what I was even doing.

Friends and clients alike asked me,
“What is a professional organizer?”
“Isn’t that what cleaners do?”
“Why would I hire someone to organize when I can just do it myself?”


The realm of professional organizing is not well known despite popular TV shows like Hoarders and Extreme Clutter. While some of those shows are amazing and give people motivation and ideas to get started on their organizing journey, unfortunately that kind of motivation often goes away when people realize decluttering is hard work and can’t be done by one person in one hour. Projects end up taking longer than expected and people get overwhelmed to the point of quitting. So let's break it down!

When should you call on the help of a professional organizer?
  1. When you are overwhelmed: Clutter is very overwhelming. Even making the decision to start decluttering can be too much to handle. We will help keep you calm and keep the momentum going.
  2. When you don’t know where to start: Professional organizers have seen all types of situations. We know where to start and can help guide you as you organize your space.    
  3. When you are faced with a health challenge: When your health is in jeopardy, being organized can often be left by the wayside. Fair enough! We want you to take care of yourself. So when this is the case, your organizer will take over major tasks for you and make sure you have everything you need to feel supported.
  4. When you are going through a major transition: It’s hard to stay on top of things when there’s a major change in your life like a birth, death, divorce, or a move. You don’t always have the energy or feel motivated to keep up. A professional organizer is a great option to help keep your home and mind in order in these situations.
  5. When you are running out of time: We are all in a race against the clock! The world keeps getting faster and more is asked of us each day. You promised yourself you’d clear out the basement this weekend... 2 years ago. But you can never find the time to work on it! This is where a professional organizer can cut the time it would take to organized. It’s our job to know all the hacks and shortcuts so the project gets done ASAP!
  6. When you have tried and the clutter came back: Ah, you finally got your room organized last week! So how is it a mess again this week?! An organizer will look at your situation from a fresh set of eyes. We will bring creative solutions to tackle that clutter and make sure we give you a solution that works for you.
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Why should you hire a professional organizer?
  1. We have the experience: Professional organizers have been into many different homes and situations. We work with all kinds of people who are facing all sorts of challenges. Having an expert to guide you will take a load off your shoulders!
  2. We have the knowledge: There is no specific program in college or university to become a professional organizer (yet!). However there are training programs offered through professional organization such as Professional Organizers in Canada, National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals, and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. Any professional organizer worth their salt will go through and actively participate in these programs and professional development courses.
  3. We are good listeners and have compassion: So many of us organizers have been disorganized at one point in our lives. It happens! We can empathize with you when you tell us you are feeling overwhelmed. An organizer will listen to you intently and without judgment to understand the root cause of your disorganization.
  4. We will encourage you and keep you accountable: We will teach you systems and solutions to help you get organized as well as providing the support and accountability for you to stay organized in the long-term.
  5. We will teach you skills: We are not just here to organize but also to teach you skills to help you be successful once we have left or stepped away.
  6. We LOVE to organize: As mentioned above, clutter can be overwhelming and enjoying the decluttering process is not natural to everyone. Professional organizers genuinely like what they do. We are not intimidated by the work and it even gives us energy when we see our clients making progress. Personally I always get a little high from finishing a successful session with a client!

If you are feeling overwhelmed by clutter, try reaching out to a professional organizer. I promise we will not bite!  :)

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

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3 Easy habits to help you be prepared and organized for tomorrow

4/16/2018

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“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
In order to make tomorrow run smoothly, it’s important to build good habits today. Being organized is about more than keeping your space tidy; it’s also about optimizing your time and energy so that you never have to feel rushed. Here are 3 easy habits you can start practicing tonight to help you be prepared and organized for tomorrow!

  1. Pick your outfit. Who remembers doing this when you were 6 because you were so excited about your first day of school? It’s a great habit to harness because it’s easy to do and having an outfit ready the night before gives you a head start in the morning.

    Picking an outfit the night before means that you have no decisions to make when you wake up; you can simply jump in the shower, grab that outfit, and off you go! You can cut your preparation time virtually in half. No more spending 10 minutes staring at your closet going, “What should I wear?”,“Is my blue sweater clean?”, or “Where are my grey pants?” And since you won’t be rushing, you will have extra time to sleep in the morning. How great is that?



  2. Make your lunch.  This one’s a lifehack for champs! Let’s be honest - how many of us have eaten lunch out because we couldn’t be bothered to make ourselves a lunch in the morning? No problem - do it the night before and all you have to do in the morning is pack your leftovers or whatever you’ve prepared. My mom taught me to batch cook and make enough for two or three days’ worth of lunches so that I wouldn’t have to be cooking constantly. The options are endless, especially with Google on your side. Making your lunch in advance helps you save time and it saves you money. If you spend $10 on lunch 5 days a week, that’s a whopping $50 that can go a long way at the grocery store. All you have to do is plan in advance!

    Another benefit of this habit is that it gives you control over what you are eating. When I don’t pack a lunch, I’m usually tempted to buy food that is not particularly healthy, so then my energy is not where I need it to be and I end up buying lunch some more. Making your own lunch is a great way of staying on top of things.



  3. Go to bed on time. It’s so easy to get distracted by Netflix, your phone, emails from work, the kids, the news… the list goes on and on. Time flies and suddenly it’s 1 am. How did that happen?!

    One of the techniques I use to make sure I go to bed at a reasonable hour is to schedule my bedtime into my phone’s calendar with an alarm since it’s highly likely I will be near or on my phone around the time I need to go to bed. My bedtime is 10 pm, so I set my alarm for 9:30 pm, which gives me 30 minutes to prepare and tells my brain,“It’s time to wind down.” I start preparing myself for bed by washing my face, brushing my teeth, and doing habits 1 and 2. When I get to my bed, I am ready to sleep. In the morning I feel more rested, I have more energy to be productive, and am in a way better mood.

Nobody is perfect and sometimes it’s hard to follow or make new habits. Try implementing the above habits one at a time. What habits do you have that help you get prepared for the following day?

I would love to hear from you!

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    I am the Owner and Queen Bee at Busy Bee Organizing. Join me on my journey of helping other declutter and refocus their lives by organizing the space they call home.

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