4 great Disneyland tips

I'm actually kind of shocked that I haven't written a post about visiting Disneyland. Before I became a professional organizer, I had an annual pass to Disneyland for several years, but I haven't gone as much lately. It is one of my favorite destinations and a great place to spend a few hours or a few days.

I have my own Lelah-patented method of "doing Disneyland" that I've perfected over dozens of visits. It maximizes the time I spend on my favorite rides and activities and minimizes time waiting in line. What works for me doesn't work for everyone, as every family has its own unique Disneyland approach. Even so, I do think I have some useful tips for just about anyone visiting the park.

Me, my brother and my dad at Disneyland circa 1986.

1. Do utilize the FastPass option. FastPass is a way to spend less time in line for the best rides, but you have to be careful to return at your designated time, and you can only get one at a time. To get the most out of FastPass, be sure to get one for the busiest rides (Raiders, Space Mountain) early in the day, because sometimes the FastPasses run out. Also, don't be afraid to send one envoy with everyone's tickets to get all the FastPasses for a given ride while the rest of the group is doing something else.
2. If you pass a ride and the line looks short, but you were planning to do it later, just go on it now. You will hate to come back and see the line is much longer than before. Good spontaneous rides and usually short waits: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh.
3. Feeling hot and tired? Take a break in the Tiki Room, on the train, or even on Pirates of the Caribbean, which is the longest ride in the park and nice and cool.
4. Don't go in the gift shops. You don't need anything in there and you'll have to carry whatever you buy around all day. But, if you do want something like Mickey ears or a hat, get that early so you can enjoy it all day long.

I feel like I could go on an on...perhaps there is a follow up post in the cards. In any event, the next time you make the trip to the happiest place on earth, have a spectacular time!

The state of my closet

As I write this post, my clothes closet is something of shambles. The top shelf, meant for purses and hats, is a jumble of both of those plus a few scarves for some reason.  The main clothes hanging area, usually organized by color and then by article of clothing type, isn't too bad, but more than half of what is hanging there isn't currently in circulation, due to my pregnant state. The bottom, which has a built-in shoe incline, looks the worst, with an errant overnight bag vying for space with a dozen jumbled pair of shoes, again, only two of which I'm actually wearing at the moment. I'm lucky in that I have a dedicated deep cupboard above the closest that is perfect for luggage storage. The overnight bag usually lives up there, but I've been using it semi-frequently and putting it away, which involves getting my step ladder from another room, seems more trouble than it's worth lately.

Why am I sharing my closet woe with you? Well, I think it's always nice to hear someone who is supposed to have organization down to a science admit to imperfection. Professional organizers are people too. But this story also illustrates how easy it is for a well-conceived system to fall apart when you don't spend the time to maintain it.Your clothes won't put themselves away by color and type. If that's how you want them, you have to put them away that way. And in the last few weeks, a meticulous closet hasn't been at the top of my priority list. That's okay. The good news is that even though I haven't been maintaining it, because I do have a system in place, it will take me much less time to return it to its organized state than if I was starting from scratch.

You'll notice I only included the "before" picture. Closet maintenance will rise to the top of the list one of these days, so until then, you'll have to imagine the "after" shot.


**An exterior shot:

February calendar

February has always been one of my favorite months. It's short, to the point and is always full of fun activities for me, as it contains both the anniversaries of my business launching and being with my husband, as well as my half-birthday, which also happens to be Valentine's Day. This year, I'll be having a baby shower in February as well, plus it's a Leap Year.

I celebrate my third year in business this month, and have to say that it feels good to get there - lots of small business struggle in the first few years of business, if they last at all. I've had a steep learning curve while being in business for myself, but it has been tremendously rewarding. I'm thankful to so many people for helping me along the way, from my family and friends and local solopreneur contacts, to my amazing colleagues in the professional organizing community here in Los Angeles and around the world.

Entrepreneurship isn't for everybody, but it has most definitely been a positive path for me. I highly encourage people who aren't happy in their careers or who are under- or unemployed to consider creating a job for themselves.

Have a happy and productive month, everyone!

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by epSos.de

Lelah with an h is growing!

**This post was originally published in my monthly e-newsletter, Lelah's News. Don't subscribe? Sign up here!
 

I have some exciting news: my husband and I are expecting our first child, a boy, in April. We're thrilled to be expanding our family, and I wanted to finally share the news with my amazing clients and supporters.

Impending parenthood has a way of putting thing in perspective, and it has tuned me in to physical and temporal limitations that I've never had to consider before. Therefore, I'll be transitioning away from hands-on organizing work at the end of March, for a while, at least. This means right now is a great time to put into action all your plans to get organized! After April, I will be growing my business in other ways. I plan to maintain my blog, newsletter and social media profiles, and I have wonderful, talented professional organizer colleagues to whom I will be referring new clients when I am no longer able to take them on. I'm always learning about new organizing methods, trends and theories, and will continue my education in this amazing field. Also, I'm hoping to expand the speaking area of my business, so I can share my knowledge with a greater audience.

Thanks for your support as I navigate these changes to my life and business!

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by Carly Franklin

Lelah's News

I share news, organizing specials and short essays about organizing on my monthly enewsletter, Lelah's News. If you don't already receive it, sign up here.

The next issue will be out this week, and will contain a very special announcement!

Get a professional organizer's expertise!

Call Lelah at 818.269.6671

or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Get Lelah's News

Tax season special!

Tax returns are due on April 17, 2012. To celebrate the unique organizational opportunity that filing one's taxes creates for us every winter, I'm offering a special organizing rate to help you get ready to file on time.

Lelah's 4 Hour Paperwork Prep Special: $239

I can help you sort your paperwork, find your receipts and assemble the documents you need to file your taxes. This will make you and your accountant extremely happy, and save you time and money. Invest in your sanity. I can help you get this done!

Details: One 4-hour office organizing session with an emphasis on getting your tax documents together is normally $300. From now until March 1, this rate will be only $239! Applicable to new and returning clients in Glendale, Pasadena and surrounding areas. Applies to one 4-hour session. Additional sessions may be needed and regular rates may apply. I am not a tax professional, but I can get you organized before you see yours!

Call or email today for more information and to schedule your session. Don't wait until the last minute. Get this off your mind today!

www.lelahwithanh.com    818.269.6671    lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by Ken Teegarden: www.seniorliving.org

Lelah With An H on social media

It's been a while since I posted my profiles to the various social media outlets that I belong to. Let's get connected on the ones you use, too!

Facebook: Lelah Baker-Rabe, Professional Organizer
Twitter: @lelahwithanh
LinkedIn
Goodreads
My website: www.lelahwithanh.com
YouTube: lelahwithanh's channel

Are you suffering from social media overload?

Call Lelah at 818.269.6671

or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Get Lelah's News

Lelah's Email Coaching Special!

Email plagues us all. It's a wonderful tool but can be an enormous drain on our time. As a person who doesn't like to leave things unfinished, an email inbox filled with messages is a distressing thing, so I have a system for getting my inbox down to zero, every single day, and I've shared this system with many clients.

If you'd like to reduce the amount of time you spend processing your email, spend two hours with me; you'll make the time back tenfold after we implement a new, improved method for dealing with your email.

I will come to your Los Angeles area home or office for two hours of intensive, email-specific productivity coaching. Virtual sessions for those outside the Los Angeles area are also available. This is a special offer at a special price and is for a limited time only. Applicable to both existing and new clients. Call 818-269-6671 now to book!

Lelah's 2 Hour Email Coaching Special: $135

Need a professional to help you manage your email?

Call Lelah at 818.269.6671

or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Get Lelah's News

1000 Twitter followers and a special offer

I’ve reached 1000 Twitter followers and I feel like celebrating!

For a limited time, any new client who books a 4-hour session will get a 25% credit toward a future session! The subsequent session must occur before 12/31/11.

Sessions are immediately available. Call 818-269-6671. Visit www.lelahwithanh.com/packages/ for more information.

What would you like to accomplish this month?

• Get the stacks of paper off your desk
• Finally figure out how to use your smartphone to help you save time and paper
• Get help figuring out the boxes of bills, receipts and mail that have been accumulating over time
• Make your kitchen functional again
• Be able to park your car in your garage
• Unstuff your linen closet
• Get your guest room guest-ready

The sky is the limit when it comes to how organizing can improve your quality of life in just a few short hours.

I have never done a promotional event like this one before. Take advantage of it while you can!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com. Sign up for Lelah's News, a once-monthly newsletter.

Poll # 1: Disposing of clutter

I'm starting a new feature on my blog today - the biweekly poll. Every couple of weeks there will a new topic in the sidebar at the right. I would love it if everyone who visited this blog participated! If you have poll topics that you'd like me to pose to the readers of Helping You Organize, just share in the comments. I'm looking forward to hearing the responses of my fabulous readers. Many thanks!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com. Sign up for Lelah's News, a once-monthly newsletter.

It's 8 a.m. Do you know where your keys are?

If you identify with this card from Mina Lee Studio, then you might need a professional organizer.

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com. Sign up for Lelah's News, a once-monthly newsletter.

Still helping you organize!

Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of this blog. The second year absolutely flew by, and I'm really happy with the quantity and quality of the posts this past year. Here are some of this blog's stats:

• This is the 229th post.
• The most-used label is "tips," used to describe 31 posts.
• The highest post-count ever for a single month was in July 2010, with 16.
• Facebook is my number one referral source of traffic, followed by Blogger.
• My single best day of traffic was due to my post Clutter-free gifts: Services being picked up on Stumbleupon.
• My personal favorite post from the past year might be January's Keeping stuff alive in 2011. Even though I wasn't able to keep all the plants alive that I mentioned in the post, looking at the pictures still inspires me.

Looking ahead to year three of this blog, I hope to keep up the frequency and encourage more commenting. Do you have any particular topics you'd like me to write about in the year ahead?

More tips.

Creative Commons nail tips photo posted to Flickr by lisa bentley
Creative Commons cake decorating tips photo posted to Flickr by Anne Hornyak
Creative Commons felt tip photo posted to Flickr by www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com. Sign up for Lelah's News, a once-monthly newsletter.

DocumentSnap's Paperless Document Organization Guide

There is a great website out there called DocumentSnap, run by Brooks Duncan, that is a one-stop-shop for all things paperless, such as scanner reviews and free tips and tools. Brooks interviewed me as part of his new product, the Paperless Document Organization Guide. The guide is meant to answer "now that I’ve scanned my documents, what the heck do I do with them so that I can find them again?" A few professional organizers, including me, were asked to be a part of this cool information product. If you want some motivation and encouragement for getting started on a paperless path, I encourage you to check it out.

I had an awesome time talking with Brooks (though if you listen to my interview, I was recovering from a cold and sound pretty gravelly) and sharing my insights into what makes a paperless system trustworthy and workable on a day-to-day level.

I truly believe that a (mostly) paperless lifestyle is the future and that we now have tools to make it possible that didn't exist for the consumer even a couple of years ago. It's an exciting time!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

April's calendar

If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter, you already know that I'm preparing to attend my first organizing conference, the National Association of Professional Organizers' 23rd Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition, next week. I'm extremely excited about the event and have already started my packing list. If you don't subscribe to my monthly newsletter, what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

Other stuff happening this month that you should know about:

April is Script Frenzy month, just like November is National Novel Writing Month. I will be attempting to write a 100-page script in 30 days!
April 1: April's Fool's Day
April 16: National Stress Awareness Day
April 18: Federal tax returns must be postmarked by this day. Passover begins.
April 22: Earth Day
April 24: Easter Sunday

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by anee.baba
Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

A year ago: Blog milestones and Bento

Last year at this time I was trying to hold my life together as my wedding day approached inexorably. I didn't post much, but I did manage to celebrate my 100th post with a fun list. I sort of ignored my 200th post...it didn't seem as much of a milestone, and now this is my 220th! I also reviewed the FileMaker program Bento. I still use Bento daily to track all my business expenses, income, clients and mileage. It's a simple and reliable program.

Reminder: if you want to receive the latest news from Lelah, before it gets posted to this blog, sign up for Lelah's newsletter. I'll only send 1-2 emails a month.

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by Stephen Cummings.
Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com 

Video: Lelah at the 2011 LA Organizing Awards

I attended the 2011 Los Angeles Organizing Awards at the end of January, and recorded this little video about my business while I was there. What do you think?



Thanks to Lisa Suchesk for her help recording it!

 Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Day in the Life

Monday, February 21, 2011.

Though it was President's Day and a holiday for many, a self employed person can work on such days if it suits her, which it did me yesterday. I woke up at 6:45 and did my morning routine on the computer, checking email, updating Twitter and Facebook, catching up on the feeds in my Google Reader and reading some articles on the Los Angeles Times website. I also ate breakfast and prepared for the day's client.

At 7:45 I left the house and drove to meet my 8 am clients at their home in a nearby mountain community. In the car I caught Steve Inskeep's interview with Lisa Cholodenko, writer and director of The Kids Are All Right, a movie I really enjoyed. She was recommending movies and it was cool to hear her espouse the virtues of Ordinary People, Chinatown and Y Tu Mama Tambien, three movies I love, too. Then I arrived at my clients'.

It was our first session together, so I familiarized myself with their needs and spent a solid four hours sorting papers and getting a filing system set up. As I told my clients, I could do that all day long. I'm not sure they believed me, but it's true. My brain loves to categorize, sort and put away. However, the session was over at noon, so I returned home and fixed myself lunch while going through my email inbox for the second time that day.

I spent the next three hours on my computer promoting my upcoming workshop. It's on March 12, and I'm hoping there will be a good turnout. Getting free of paper in one's office seems impossible, but it isn't, and I think it's something that can really help people's state of mind and productivity. Plus, the workshop price is like getting 3 hours of intensive coaching from a professional organizer for the price of a single hour with that same organizer in your home or office. Anyway, I created notices for the workshop on a number of online bulletin boards. I also emailed a few clients to follow up on their progress and updated Bento with my recent income and expenses information. I also started this blog post.

I took a break to catch up with a relative on the phone. We talked about writing, and I got inspired to set myself a new goal. I write fiction, and have been plodding along in the middle of a novel for months. My new goal is to write ten thousand words in the next week and a half, hopefully getting me over the hump and into the final stretch of the story.

Realizing it has been a while since I hosted a Biznik networking mixer, I also set up one for two weeks from now, on March 8th. It will be at Bokado in Studio City and you can find all the details here. It's amazing to think that I've been hosting these on and off for over a year now!

I spent some time polishing up an article I'm writing called "Taking the Paperless Plunge." I'm sending in to the San Diego chapter of NAPO to see if they want to publish it in their online newsletter. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, and I'll probably publish it here in the future.

Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher.

After a light dinner and an episode of Murder, She Wrote on Netflix Instant (my favorite corny TV show and a good palate cleanser for my brain), I turned to my book. I'm writing a romance and I feel like I've been writing the same scene for days. I got in almost 1,000 words, which is really good for one sitting for me. I then did the dishes, made sure my work kit was ready for tomorrow's client, and finished writing this post.

So my day was productive, if a little unexciting. Now you know what a day in the life of a professional organizer* is like!

*I got the idea to do a day in the life of a professional organizer post from Bay area professional organizer Amanda Kuzak.

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Upcoming workshop: March 12th, go paperless

I'm teaching a workshop. If you live in Southern California and would like to get detailed and inspiring instruction on how to get away from the tyranny of paper, come learn in person!

The (Almost) Paperless Office Workshop

March 12, 2011

Are you drowning in paper, do you lust after a high tech scanner, did you think that getting an iPhone would help reduce the amount of paper piling up on your desk? Do you want to increase your productivity in the office and decrease the time you spend wrestling with paper piles?

The dream of the paperless office has been around for a while, but how many of us have been able to achieve it? Lelah Baker-Rabe, professional organizer and expert in both paper and digital clutter control, will teach you how to make the paperless office a reality with a comprehensive three hour workshop designed for the technology beginner or intermediate who wants to make the transition to a life independent of paper.

This workshop will do more than help you figure out what paper can stay and what can go. It will help you stop paper clutter in the future, and will help you avoid trading paper clutter for electronic clutter. You can go paperless without going completely high tech and Lelah will show you how.

Why almost paperless? Some of us still enjoy paper. It's okay to be mainly paperless and still use paper. After this workshop, paper will no longer be an enemy, it will be another tool in your organization toolbox!

Less paper. More life.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

At Lelah's own (almost) paperless office

Glendale, CA

$75. Space is limited. 

Register by March 10, 2011.**

**Register by March 1st and bring a box of stuff to shred - Lelah will shred it for free!**

Announcing Lelah's News

I'm in the middle of updating and redesigning my website a bit. I'm adding a new color to my business's graphic identity and introducing new office organizing packages. Another new thing I'm excited to add to the mix is a newsletter sign up. I plan to share with those who are interested news, events and tips related to organizing. I don't want to just run one of my blog posts and call it a newsletter, rather, I want to use the email format to alert folks who really want to know when I'm offering a workshop, a special on my organizing services, or have a new service or product to offer.

If you are interested in being one of those people, please sign up today! I will send to this list no more than twice a month, and, more likely, once a month on average.

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com