Christa Wagner

John and I in front of Olympic Village

What an exciting time in Vancouver.  There is so much to see and do in the city; you can feel the buzz of Olympic excitement in the air.  This past weekend, John and I walked the entire city taking in all the sites, people and energy.  It was outstanding and I have to say the Olympic Village (where athletes are displaying their flags from the balcony) is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. 
 
With so much going on for this once in a lifetime event, make sure you plan some time to take in as much as you want to.  Yesterday, I was talking to a woman who told me she wanted to go see the torch relay, but she just didn’t think she could squeeze it in.  Life is about prioritizing and making choices.  I advised her if it was important to to see the torch relay then put in on the calendar and let go of another task or activity that is less important.  That’s what being organized and having balance is all about.  Make choices and prioritize. 
 
The Olympics may never come to Vancouver again, so make the most of it.  Look at what’s going on and schedule time in your calendar to take it all in.  And look for John and I on the Zipline over Robson Street!
 
Welcome world and have so much fun Vancouver!   

Christa Wagner is a professional organizer in Vancouver, BC.

Twelve percent of Vancouverites are leaving town during the Winter Olympics, and taking advantage of the huge influx in visitors. Home rentals are bringing in big dollars for those who choose to jet-set to a sandy beach somewhere far away from the chaos and congestion. 

Most would agree that allowing strangers into your home is a gamble, so before you get on the plane (if you can make your way to the airport,) do your homework and prepare your home for your unfamiliar guests.  Here are some tips to make this as simple as possible. 

1. Confirm your agreement:  Prior to your renter’s arrival, confirm all details of your arrangement to avoid any surprises.  Include details such as amount received as deposit, total rental fees, period of rental agreement, insurance coverage, and condition of property at the time of arrival.   Be sure to use simple, precise language, and provide a copy to both parties. 
2. Make your renters feel at home:  Leave a welcome letter.   This letter is a nice hospitable touch and is a great way to communicate any other items not covered in your agreement.   Explain any instructions for home appliances, alarm systems, or lighting, as well as anything else you’d like to add about your home or local area. Leave a list of phone numbers in case of emergency including the police department and fire department. 
3. Clean your home:  You want your renters to respect your home as much as you do, so take the time to clean all rooms and remove garbage.  Ask that they leave the property in the same condition upon exiting.  It’s also a good idea to remove any breakable or personal items (like birth certificates) and lock them in a safe place. 
4. Where will your renters sleep?  Who is coming, how many are in their party, and where will they sleep?  Do you have enough sleeping space?  Do you have a sufficient supply of bed linens, pillows and blankets?   Your renters are treating your home as a hotel so all sleeping essentials must be present. 
5. Bathroom:   Launder towels and washcloths. Make sure you have one for each guest.  It’s not necessary, but is a nice touch to provide basic toiletries like a fresh bar of soap, shampoo, and conditioner. 
6. Getting around town:  Your renters could be from anywhere, and they are not familiar with our city.  Help them out by gathering city maps, a map to the Olympic events and transit maps and schedules. Tourism Vancouver (www.tourismvancouver.com) provides many of these maps for free. Let your renters know that Translink offers a Games Transit Pass that provides unlimited travel on the bus, SeaBus and SkyTrain (including to the airport.)  Go to www.translink.ca. 
7. Dining out:  There are many choices for food in Vancouver. Give your renters a list of your favorite restaurants to help them decide where to dine. 

I have to admit, sitting on a warm sandy beach sounds wonderful, but in order to enjoy your vacation, take a few minutes prior to departure to prepare your home for your Olympic renters. 

For more information, go to www.savvysolutionsorganiznig.com or contact author Christa Wagner at 778.839.5792.

The average employee gets far more email than he or she can cope with, and an increasing number of people suffer from “email overload.” People are even declaring email bankruptcy and deleting all their email at once, but that doesn’t really solve the problem since more emails just keep pouring in.

Think about this…… Let’s assume you get 50 emails each day. On average, it takes about four minutes typing up a response to each one. That’s over three hours each day dedicated to email alone. Now, let’s factor that number into five days a week multiplied by 48 work weeks a year; that’s 800 hours spent on only email. That’s almost 20 weeks dedicated completely to email! Do you see what I’m getting at? Email is a serious contributing factor to a business’s lack of productivity.

In a world of information overload where email has created the never ending workday, it’s time we start using this tool more effectively. Here are two tips you can start implementing sooner than later. 

1. Avoid opening email first thing in the morning: This may send shivers up your spine, and I am not suggesting waiting until noon, but by postponing your email, you can dedicate this high-energy morning time to a task that adds value to your day and brings you closer to your goals.
2. Process Email At Specific Times: Process your email in short doses, perhaps twice daily or for a few minutes each hour. Now I know this will be a challenge and requires a habit change, but email creates a reactionary work environment and you can greatly increase your effectiveness if you set aside specific email time frames. Additionally, when you don’t respond immediately, it sets the precedent that you are not sitting at your desk waiting to deal with someone’s email.

Since many of us have never had email training, and since we have not set up email rules and boundaries, the benefits quickly spin out of control.   Manage yourself and you can reduce time spent on email.

To schedule an email management workshop call us at 778.839.5792 or visit our website for more details.

This article was published in the Vancouver Courier on January 29.  

The Winter Olympics are just days away and our city is about to experience a siege of activity.  Perhaps you are also about to experience an onslaught of guests in your home.   Whether the thought of friends and family camping out in your small Vancouver apartment brings excitement or anxiety, use our 7 Organizing Tips To Prepare Your Home For Olympic Visitors to make this once-in-a-lifetime experience amazing for everyone.  

1. Plan it out:  You may host several guests over the course of the games.  Map it out: who is coming and when, how many are in their party, where will they sleep, how are they getting to your home?  Think of your home as a hotel or bed-and-breakfast.  You don’t have to accommodate their every whim, but planning in advance will make this busy time fun for everyone. 
2. Where will your guests sleep?  Do you have enough sleeping space?  Do you need to get an air mattress?  Do you have a sufficient supply of bed linens, pillows, and blankets?   Does the bedroom need to be cleaned?  This is a great time to get the room organized, and to donate the items you no longer need, use, or love. 
3. Bathroom:   Launder towels and washcloths and make sure you have one for each guest.  Don’t forget about toiletries such as a fresh bar of soap, shampoo, and conditioner.  This is especially important with current airline security; let your guest to know they can leave these items at home. 
4. Getting around town:  It goes without saying that traffic is going to be interesting.  Encourage your guests to take public transit, providing them with transit maps and schedules.   Translink offers a Games Transit Pass that provides unlimited travel on the bus, SeaBus and SkyTrain (including to the airport.)  Go to www.translink.ca. 
5. Set the stage in your living room:   When you’re not going to an event, you will be watching it on TV, so make sure you have plenty of seating. Consider bringing in extra chairs or use pillows on the floor to give everyone a comfy seat.  
6. Stay energized:  With so many events and activities, guests may be coming and going all day long.  Get lots of snacks, energy bars, nuts and candy around so everyone can help themselves if they need a snack.  Also don’t forget about coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, since it may be cold on the mountains.  Providing your guests a list of recommended restaurants is always a great idea to help them decide where to dine. 
7. Dig out the extra winter gear:  It’s going to be chilly on the mountain, but winter clothes take up a lot of suitcase space.  You don’t have to go out shopping, but dig out the items you don’t use anymore.   Set aside gloves, hats, scarves and ski jackets so your guests can pack less and take home more souvenirs. 

What better way to celebrate the Olympics than to host guests and show them our fabulous city?  Use our 7 Organizing Tips To Prepare Your Home For Olympic Visitors and you’ll go down as a legendary host during this celebrated time. 

Christa Wagner is a local organizing diva; for more information on home and office efficiency, go to www.savvysolutionsorganiznig.com or contact author Christa Wagner at 778.839.5792.

Something new I am using in my office is a motivational bulletin board.   I do have annual goals and keep them with me at all times, but I’ve been feeling like I need more.  I needed something to call out to me and that I can see every day.  So I installed a bulletin board and magnetic wipe board in my home office.  I placed it next to some of my favorite photos of John and I and I look at it every day. 

The bulletin board has photos, inspirational quotes and things I treasure.  Some are things people have given more and others are clippings from magazines or something I found interesting.

My Weekly Motivation

I use the magnetic wipe board to write the week’s top priorities and then create my daily To Do list from there.  So far so good - I crossed everything off my list last week. 

I know its a challenge to stay on top of the never ending To Do list, but perhaps you can install something similar in your home or office. 

Christa Wagner is a professional organizer located in Vancouver, BC.

I read the funniest article yesterday in the Vancouver MetroNews.  It was called Bank On A Happy Holiday When You Plan Ahead.   I found this funny, because like the writer every year I tell myself I am going to Christmas shop throughout the year so I have little to do in December.  And every year this just doesn’t seem to happen.  I always manage to get it all done.  I think deep down I just love the hustle and bustle the last few weeks before Christmas. 

Now I know there are people who are done with their shopping and all their gifts are wrapped and good for you!  More power to you.  But for the rest of us here are a few tips to still have an organized and stress free holiday season – even though there is still more to do.

• Order holiday cards from Shutterfly.com.  There is nothing easier or less expensive than sending a holiday photo card.  It takes about 15 minutes to create and then all you have to is print labels and stamp.  Simple and easy. 
• Use Send Out Cards for a traditional holiday card:  I love this service and I can finally get birthday cards out on time.  You can send all your holiday cards in a few quick steps. 
• Print labels:  Using labels from any office supply store, print address labels right from your computer. 
• Take advantage of Amazon.com.  No matter what I am buying, I shop at Amazon first.  They have everything and from all different retailers.  This year I was buying something for my Mom from Wine Enthusiast.  I went to Amazon first and the price was 50% less and shipping was free since I was over $25. 
• Prepare Meals Ahead:  Not everything has to be done the day of the party or on Christmas Eve.  Create a menu and consider what you can make ahead of time and freeze.  Think about the entire meal so you can spend more time with your family and friends rather than in the kitchen. 
• Hire a personal chef or go gourmet:   Many people don’t want the hassle of cooking and baking.    Hire a personal chef and they will come to you and no one will know otherwise.  We recommend Maxime Personal Chef.  Or go gourmet and get prepared dinners at a local gourmet grocer near you.   

Maybe one of these days I will get my shopping done before December, but until then I will use these time savings tips to get organized ahead of time and join the crowds in the days before Christmas. 

We wish you a very merry holiday season and lots of luck in the new year!

I love Christmas season.  The time between Thanksgiving and New Year is so much fun, but of course, with the holidays comes a lot of work and preparation. I’m not going to say its easy, because I actually remember starting to cry when I finally got my first Thanksgiving dinner on the table, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. It should be fun and relaxing.

We know how challenging it can be to pull off a holiday party or dinner?  So here are a few tips to get you through.  Of course, a glass of wine always helps too! 

• Stick to what you know. This is not the time to whip up a special souffle you’ve never tried before. That is only going to stress you out. We recommend using our Meal Planning Made Easy system to make meal planning and shopping easier.

• Do as much as you can in advance. If you plan and prepare in advance there’s no reason you can’t be in the living room chatting with everyone else.

• Let guests pitch in. Who said you had to do it all? Let your guests help out. Let them bring the sides, desserts or appetizers. Having just one less thing on your plate can make a huge difference.

• Cut corners where possible. I’m not suggesting to skimp on taste, but do you really have to make homemade bread when we have fresh bread on every corner.

• Delegate to the family. There is so much to do. Cooking, cleaning, setting the table, doing this dishes, chopping, shopping, taking out the garbage, etc.  A holiday is like any other day; get the family involved. Delegate to your family and ask for everyone to contribute to a more organized day.

We want to wish you a very merry holiday season, but also want it to be organized.  For help getting organized this holiday season, contact us at 778.839.5792. Christa Wagner is a professional organizer based in Vancouver, BC.

Recently, I’ve had a lot on my plate.  I have two businesses that are in full swing, we moved in September so I had to pack, unpack and try and get settled in our new space, I went home to help my sister with her newborn (who is the most adorable baby on the planet – no bias of course) and I’ve been trying to carve out a little time for myself and my husband John. 

So a few weeks ago I would say I had a melt down.  It came after three straight weeks of 7am – 9pm days, I had not worked out or seen friends and had very little time with John.  I was really struggling and just found myself frustrated by so much to do.   

As an organizer, I teach people how to manage their time, but its an ongoing process.  Even though my life is pretty balanced; I dedicate evenings and weekends to myself, my family and frieds; things got a little out of control with so many outside forces.   When that happens its important to re-assess the situation and figure out what’s working and what’s not working and fix it right away.  Here is my plan of attack:

• I blocked out time in my calendar for myself.  This is in addition to evenings and weekends because that’s not usually just for me.  I have had a tough time getting to the gym and that’s really important to me.  Exercising is now on the calendar as an appointment with myself. 
• I asked John if he could cook one night a week.  I love to cook; its my release from the day and we make dinner nearly every night.  I use my Meal Planning Made Easy System to plan meals for the week making dinnertime and grocery shopping simplier.  That said, it would be so helpful for John to get dinner on the table once per week – he picked Thursdays! 
• I more clearly defined when I will work on each business.  Having two businesses, I have two of everything. Two websites, two newsletters, two blogs.  I now have dedicated time in my calendar to work on Savvy Solutions and A Red Bench seperately so I don’t feel as if I am working on both all of the time.
• I let go of a few responsibilities and activities that were not necessary or bringing value to my life.  I am a busy person and I want to contribute and be involved with as many things as I can.  But sometimes, I get involved with too much and I found myself not enjoying a few groups and associations.  I’ve let those go, guilt free!

Sure, I’m organized, but that’s doesn’t mean I don’t have to manage my time just like everyone else.  The difference is, I actually take the time to figure out what’s not working and fix it.  You are worth it.  You will be much happier if you carve out a little “you time.” 

For help with time management contact us at 778.839.5792 or purchase our audio called Time Management is Broken.  Christa Wagner is a professional organizer based in Vancouver, BC.

In a previous post, we recommended starting dinner earlier in the day, which saves time in getting meals ready for the family. If you are stumped on what foods can be prepared ahead of time, here are a few suggestions. Most of these make delicious leftovers, too!

• Casseroles – Usually you can make these ahead of time, then pop them in the refrigerator and take them out when it is time to bake

• Soups – They taste better when they simmer for a while anyway!

• Pizza – You can put the dough in the bread machine and leave it, then chop up all the toppings and place those in a container in the refrigerator. If you don’t have a bread machine or time to make dough, tortilla or pita bread makes a great substitute.

• Chicken for grilling – I usually parboil some chicken thighs or whole breast and marinade them. At dinnertime, pop them onto the grill for a few minutes and you have a quick meal!

• Salads – Throwing together a crisp salad all ready to go is a good and healthy addition to any meal! Pasta salads are great to make in advance too.

• Bread – If I get my bread in my bread machine by 1:00, it is ready for dinner. Fresh, warm,  homemade bread is delicious! If I am making dough for rolls, I will start it in the morning and in the afternoon get it all ready and bake right before dinner.

For more help, use our Meal Planning Made Easy system with step-by-step reminders to make meal planning and shopping easier for busy people.  For less than take-out, you can get dinner on the table every night.

Now is the time to start thinking about your holiday shopping list.  We are sure its and it can be tough to know what to give. Instead of giving a loved one a gift they may, or may not use, give experiences and time. Dancing or kayaking lessons, movie tickets, a massage certificate or what about a cleaning or organizing service certificate? Giving the gift of experience and time doesn’t add more clutter to the shelves, just a thoughtful gesture to let that special someone know you care.

A great gift that is super for busy Moms and families is our Meal Planning Made Easy System. Download these lists and use them over and over to save time and money every week.  You’ll never be stumped on “What’s for dinner?” again.