Garage sale…or not

When it comes to Spring Cleaning, you might think Garage sale? …or not?

If you’re like me, those professional garage salers hurt your feelings. I hate how their noses crinkle up like it stinks when they examine the Little People Bus that I diligently cleaned and found even the puppy (you can tell how old am I) . I realize the bartering is a game but I just didn’t get the gene for it. The best part of the day for me was when the local charity came and picked up what hadn’t sold.

So now I skip the garage sale and inspire myself with the image of all of the garage sale items being re-used through thrift stores and charities. The idea of a child happily playing with the bus or an unemployed mom going to an interview in my retired work outfit’ delights me. Another favorite activity is to type into TurboTax my donation and see the little total change – it might be $20 on $100 worth of goods. I’m obviously not a tax attorney, and I might not even be right about the tax benefit being worth it. But I do know it is worth it to get any clutter out of my house that distracts us from our current goals and favorite activities, so it the idea of helping out someone less fortunate and getting a little tax break is all the motivation I need.

Press Release: Orderly Chic’s Giveback Week Giveaway to Launch This Week

Orderly Chic’s Giveback Week Giveaway to Launch This Week

BOULDER, CO - With the school year rapidly approaching, parents are bracing for rigorous and sometimes stressful fundraising campaigns for their child’s sports teams, bands, and clubs. Boulder mom/designer/ entrepreneur Kay Magnie McLellan has come up with a clever way to fight the fundraising blues in style with her line of whiteboards from her brand Orderly Chic. “As a mom, I feel great about using my advertising budget to support good causes,” McLellan says.” When I designed the program I thought about the things that make us (parents) cringe: collecting money, delivering whatever was purchased, and selling a smaller version for an inflated cost; with Giveback Week, 15% of the purchase cost goes back to the cause automatically, relatives from all over the country can participate, and everyone can see that the product is being sold at retail cost.”

Starting July 25th Orderly Chic will be launching “The Giveback Giveaway” where lucky winners can walk away with $1,000 in merchandise to help raise funds for the cause of their choice. Orderly Chic’s one-of-a-kind message boards help brighten up any locker, refrigerator or office space with their sleek design, making it an easy sell for families craving a little organization. “Moms have told me that they like the fact that they'd be offering something practical and stylish, something they'd buy for a gift themselves”, McLellan says. Another bonus to Giveback Week? McLellan promises the program isn’t filled with lots of legwork or additional effort. “As a busy mom and entrepreneur myself, I want this process to be as easy as possible for both the beneficiaries and their supporters. Just fill out the simple online form with a few questions about the cause, team, or organization you are fundraising for; if your cause wins, you'll receive 100 Note Boards (a $1000 value) to sell and your cause keeps all the proceeds. To increase your chances, have your friends vote for your cause. Giveback Week participants are encouraged to use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in order to stir up more support for their cause. The contest hopes to breathe new life into the occasionally daunting task of grassroots fundraising while introducing shoppers to a line of must-have organizational products.

Orderly Chic is the brainchild of industrial designer Kay Magnie McLellan, who was inspired to create a line of products that eased the stress and pain of daily life after she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2001. Orderly Chic products are available at Amazon.com. For more information on Orderly Chic and the Giveback Week giveaway, please contact Kay Magnie McLellan at 888.492.8235 or info@orderlychic.com.

http://orderlychic.com/fundraising.html

http://www.facebook.com/orderlychic

Keeping my To Do list To-doable

To make a to do list, I used to get out a legal pad and list everything floating around in my head. It set off this cycle...

1. Worry about what has to be done.
2. Take action. Make a list. Feel a little better.
3. Keep adding to the list until my head is ready to pop.
4. Look at list in despair.
5. Stress response "She's out of control. We're taking the system down."
6. Camera zooms in on the closed eyes of our heroine collapsed on the couch.

Now I use an index card. Even if I write really tiny and all over the back, I still can't fit the 25 or more tasks I used to on the legal pad. The beauty is that what matters most floats to the top. Instant priorities!

If my daughter only had 3 white dresses, I wouldn't need a custom closet!

People often ask what inspired me to design organizational products...if they are close friends they might be politely refraining from mentioning that I'm not the most organized person. It's true. The elementary school secretary had us on speed dial for late permission slips. But one day when I was drolling over a custom closet ad, I realized "If my daughter only wore 3 identical white dresses, I wouldn't need that beautiful closet." Whose child does? And would I want that?

I get positively misty-eyed when I picture all of you out there with your wonderfully messy lives -- mud-caked shoes, piano music, ticket stubs, stray socks, knitting needles, sketchbooks, snow boards, crossword puzzles -- all of these objects that hint at the inner world of your interests and passions. If my products -- whiteboards or future offerings -- help you spend a little more time on those favorite activities, I'd feel very satisfied indeed.

p.s. I still want that custom closet.