The 2012 NDOA Spring Conference is this Friday, June 8, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue!  The Northwest Development Officers Association is a professional organization of development officers, fundraisers, consultants, and non-profits, comprising the largest network of fundraising professionals in the Northwest.  This year’s theme is Shared Values of Compassion and Community Engagement, with speaker presentations focusing on how to inspire community investment in shared problems and needs.  The conference offers several workshops sessions, including our very own Elizabeth Bowman, who will be speaking on how to empower yourself.  Her workshop, “Work Smart, Get Organized!,” will take place 1:45-3:00 pm and discuss productivity tips that enable success.  

It’s not too late to register for this great networking event!  See you on Friday!

For all of our Seattleites, we are excited to attend the annual Chamber of Seattle Tradeshow on May 16th, from 3 to 7 pm, at CenturyLink Field & Event Center!  The Tradeshow is the largest B2B expo in the region, and with 160 exhibitors and more than 1,500 attendees, it is a great networking opportunity!  

Our business organizing services help individuals and teams improve time and meeting management, office organizing, paper and filing systems, and process improvement.  We will be attending the Tradeshow to answer any questions you have about organizing your space and time – both professionally and personally.  Please stop by our booth, meet our team, and say hello!  

See you May 16th!

Think the cloud is just for professional use?  Think again!  Cloud computing is for busy families too.  The beauty of using “the cloud” is that it keeps information synced and accessible, making it a great solution for busy families trying to get organized.  Here are four ways that busy families can use cloud-based services to simplify their lives:

1.  Finances
Staying connected to your finances wherever you go can be challenging for many families.  Try a tool like Mint to help your family manage accounts and investments, as well as track spending and set up budgets.

2.  Photos
Online photo storage sites, such as SnapFish, can be a great way to let everyone view and access memories by using the sharing function.  You can also use these services to order prints or create cool photo products.  One of our favorite things to do is create photo books to preserve and show off memories at the same time!

3.  Calendars
Family calendars help to keep track of each family member’s schedule organized.  It is easy to create individual calendars and then share them as needed with other family members, or even a teacher, nanny, or carpool buddy.  One of our favorite options is Google Calendars since it works with just about any mobile device and is accessible online.

4.  Lists
Writing and sharing lists that the entire family can access is a must.  Using a tool like Cozi can help you keep track of shared grocery lists, to-do lists, and any other family priorities.

What are your thoughts?  How does your family use the cloud to stay organized?

We are all so spoiled living in Seattle…every single day we have a stunning view of Mount Rainier, glorious red and orange sunrises, lush Evergreens everywhere, and beautiful Lake Washington!  And this much water means many boat owners and houseboat dwellings.  We know Sam and Jonah in the movie Sleepless in Seattle are not the only ones living on water!

We are excited to announce our new Small Space Organizing service!  For those of you living or working in boats, yachts, houseboats, RVs, or small condos, we are available to help organize your space!  It is especially important when space is limited to stay organized and maximize your space.  Our team of professional organizers and space planners are ready to help you gain control of your small space and have more living room!

We are also proud partners with Viaggio Maritime, a yacht servicing company with locations in both Seattle and Portland.  We have known Trigve Papenfuse, one of the owners, for quite a while and are excited to work in his industry!  Viaggio Maritime explains on its website the importance of being organized in such a small space, like a yacht:

We highly recommend that anyone who owns a boat takes a long moment to consider having Innovatively Organized aboard to maximize the space you do have. This especially holds true for long term cruisers. Packing a large quantity of gear into your boat to prepare for the long trek ahead is always a difficult task. It seems that you have to make the difficult decision on what to leave and what to bring.

If you are a boat owner or are considering becoming a Seattle “mariner,” the Seattle Boat Show is being held January 27 through February 5 at CenturyLink Field!  We are offering a special discount for attendees of the show!

To get you started, we have created a Must-Have Products for Organizing your Boat checklist.  Print it out and head to your local store to make sure you have everything you need to maximize your space.  Come time for summer and SeaFair in the Northwest, you’ll have enough room to invite all of your friends over!

Get organized now with our Must-Have Products for Organizing your Boat checklist!

And for more Innovatively Organized checklists, visit our page of Organizing Checklists!

Ready for a fresh start to 2012?  Look no further than your desk… if you can see past the piles of paper and scattered paper clips!  We know how quickly that clutter can gather on your desk while you’re working hard.  But with the help of professional organizers, you can install paper management systems that maintain themselves!  Just look at this video of some of our desk transformations!

Do you know of a desk that could use some TLC?  The Messiest Desk Contest begins TODAY, so nominate a co-worker, your spouse, or yourself for a chance to win an organizing makeover the messiest desk in Seattle!  For a list of prizes and contest rules, as well as the nomination form, visit the Messiest Desk Contest.

Let the nominations begin!

Description:
Preparing to throw the perfect holiday party for your friends and family?  But feeling overwhelmed about everything that goes into throwing a party−creating guest lists, sending invitations, finding a vendor, or ordering from caterers?  Try using online party planners to help streamline the process.  One helpful website is and Best Party Ever.

Abilities:
•  Create guest lists
•  Organize budgets
•  Build schedules
•  Personalize and send invitations
•  Find nearby vendors
•  Plan food and drinks
•  Learn hosting tipsGreat for:
•  Keeping all of your information in one place
•  Organizing your guest lists
•  Finding nearby places and businesses

Cost: Free

So you’ve got all these purses in your closet (or scattered around your house!) that you just don’t know what to do with… The moment you no longer love a purse, it becomes clutter.  There is no good way to store the various shapes and sizes, so purses easily stack up.  Here’s an idea: swap your purse for a gorgeous new bag that you’ll actually use!

Purses of Interest is a purse swap fundraiser to benefit Rise n’ Shine.  The event is next Thursday, October 6th at 6 pm at PNK Ultra Lounge in Pacific Place.  You can register online for $20 before October 1st or for $25 after.  

Upon arrival, you will be checked in and given a ticket in exchange for your gently used purse (cough- clutter).  For the purse swap portion, numbers will be drawn at random to invite guests to pick out their new purse.  And the best part- all purses include goodies, discounts, or gift certificates hidden inside!  Not only will you be getting rid of “extra baggage” in your home, you’ll be returning with an awesome new bag already filled with goodies!  

There will also be a small silent auction for wines, chocolates, a boat tour, a L’Occitane gift box, and gift certificates to local Seattle Restaurants!  All of the evening’s proceeds go in support of Rise n’ Shine, which supports children and teens affected by HIV/AIDS.  

Bring all of your friends- especially the ones with purses you envy!  You can also check out their Facebook event to learn more!

Are you planning a party, event, or wedding?  We found a fun, easy-to-use tool for managing your guest list, invitations, and seat arrangements!  SocialTables allows you to quickly create your guest list and send invitations online.  You can pull names, emails, and contact information from your email or Facebook account.  Once you send out invitations and the RSVPs come in, you can begin playing with your seating chart.  You just drag and drop pictures of your guests until you find the perfect arrangement.  Plus, you can invite others to help you plan the event!  This tool has received praise from The Washington Post and Real Simple; we think it could help you plan your next event with less stress and paper clutter.

What are your thoughts?