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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I am very excited that recently I was featured in the Vancouver Courier with my own “Bi Line.” The article is “Home Game: Preparing For Olympic Visitors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A few months ago, I was featured on Shaw Cable’s ”The Express.” The show featured one of my clients who I am helping in her home office. Get this? She had a baby 8 months ago, moved a month after the baby was born and is also transitioning into working from home with the baby. She has a lot going on as many of my clients do.
We tend to overdo it in my family. I’m Italian, what can I say? It’s so much fun and I have to admit that I love giving and getting lots of Christmas presents. We open them one by one and each take a turn playing “Santa” on Christmas morning. Everyone is always so excited with their prizes and it’s something I look forward to all year long.
Knowing there will be more coming into my life on December 25th, I always take the time to remove anything I am not using prior to more stuff’s arrival. Every year in December, I review my clothes, shoes, accessories, coats, games, kitchen tools and gadgets and home decor items and decide what I no longer need, use or love. Ask yourself if you have used the item in the last year and if the answer is no, consider donating it to someone who could use it.
The holidays are about giving. Walk around your home and donate what you are not using to someone in need. If you need some help deciding what to let go of, contact us at 778.839.5792.
Christa Wagner is a Professional Organizer based in Vancouver, BC.
I’ve named this post “Focus Is the Name of the Game” because I just returned from the POC (Professional Organizers of Canada) Conference in Calgary and I feel more focused than ever. Now I know what you’re thinking; that I am pretty focused already. Well, even organizers can get a little lost with so many tasks, activities and To Do’s.
At the conference I listened to keynote speaker, Les Hewitt, author of The Power of Focus. He was amazing and he said, “Sustained motivation is when you have something thing good that goes along with what you you do well.” That really resonated with me. I am good at organizing and that’s why I created Savvy Solutions more than five years ago. Of course, I will continue to work with people in their homes and offices on paper, time and email management. But what I am really good at is speaking in front of a group. Not many people feel that way, but I love it. So in the future, you will see more focus on speaking engagements, Lunch & Learns, Workshops and Seminars. And here’s where I would love your help….
If you know of a business that would like to save time and money in the workplace, forward this message.
If you know of a company that is looking for a motivational speaker to light a fire under their staff, forward this message.
If you know of a group, association, organization or business that keeps running into the “No Time” trap, forward this message.
On average, we spend one our each day searching for misplaced information. The goal of my presentations is to give you back at least 10 minutes each day, which would equal one week over the course of a year. What would you do with an extra week of time?
I love working with you in your homes and offices and hope to grow our speaking services with your help. And the good news is speaking engagements can be in anywhere. Contact me at 778.839.5792 to schedule your Lunch & Learn at your office. Book by November 30th and lunch is included.
In September I had the opportunity to work with Blink Media on an organizing segment for their Get Connected Show. The show a weeks ago during Small Business Week (the week of October 19) and I just recently got a copy of the link. I’ve been on TV a few times on the news, but this was a new experience that I just loved. I had so much fun and was thrilled to be apart of the event. I was also so impressed with the crew at Blink Media; the quality of the work was exceptional and they were super to work with.
On the show we work with a client who is struggling with some organizational issues. Like many of my clients they had a home office space that had too many purpose, little storage space and just too much stuff. We were able to help by letting go of some unneeded items, we created a home for things using some great office products, and since it was a Get Connected Segment, we incorporated some pretty cool and very functional computer tools. The client was thrilled and overall it was a super day.
Christa Wagner is a Professional Organizer located in Vancouver, BC. I am hoping for many more opportunities like this one. Here is what the producer said about working with me: “I think I can speak on behalf of AJ, Clayton and the entire GC Crew, that you were an excellent co-host for our segment and the energy you brought to the set throughout the long day will translate well onto the screen.”
If you know of any media opportunities, please pass them along and I will eagerly follow-up! Contact me at 778.839.5792.
In September I had the opportunity to work with Blink Media on an organizing segment for their Get Connected Show. The show is airing tomorrow during Small Business Week (the week of October 19). I had so much fun and was thrilled to be apart of the event. Thank you Blink TV.
On the show we work with a client who is struggling with some organizational issues. Our client was fantastic. Like many of my clients they had a home office space that had too many purpose, little storage space and just too much stuff. We were able to help by letting go of some unneeded items, we created a home for things using some great office products, and since it was a Get Connected Segment, we incorporated some pretty cool and very functional computer tools. The client was thrilled and overall it was a super day.
Email is the greatest single interruption of the modern world and its taking over our workday; not to mention we have now added Facebook and Twitter. In this seminar, Avoid Email Bankruptcy, attendees will learn the three major causes of e-mail overload, and how to solve them. We’ll teach you how to reduce the number of e-mail you receive, how to compose more effective e-mail, and how to find and file the e-mail you need. Call 604-257-6976 to register.
** Every participant will receive a copy of Christa’s Audio Magazine – Live A More Organized Life **
Avoid Email Bankruptcy
Oct 13, 2009 06:30 PM
Investment:$22
Kitsilano Community Centre, 2690 Larch Street, Vancouver, BC
