Month: February 2007

  • Pamela Anderson Cleans Out Her Closet

    Pamela_andersonJust last Wednesday, Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson downsized her closet and ditched her Uggs.

    No, OrganizingLA wasn’t making a professional organizing house-call.  On her own, Anderson found out the immensely popular lifestyle boots are crafted from shaved sheepskin.

    UggsThe animal rights activist (right) wrote on her blog that she feels terrible for the Ugg craze that she essentially started years ago.  Anderson began wearing Ugg boots to keep her long legs toasty between takes for the pilot of the Australian version of her television show Baywatch.  She brought them back to Los Angeles for use on the set, and that introduction created a shoe phenomenon.

    Uggs are commonly worn with jeans, and of course, Anderson’s bathing suit.

    “I used to wear them with my red swim suit to keep warm never realizing that they were SKIN!  It’s what I grab by my door in the mornings to bring my kids to school or walk my dog on the beach at 6am or anything early – I’ve definitely over used them – and that’s it!!!!"

    Having purged her closet of the fancy feets, Anderson now urges other to lose their Uggs, and buy Stella McCartney or Juicy Couture boots.

    Source:  Canada.com

    Read more on Pamela Anderson’s Blog Diary

    Readers– have you grabbed something in your closet and ditched it when you heard it wasn’t earth-friendly?

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  • Stand Up Meetings – Lose the Chairs and Save Time

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    A few years ago, I worked for a Los Angeles company that had a lot of meetings.

     

    The gatherings were long and boring, but I guess it was important for everyone to have their say.  At that stage of my personal business evolution, I just accepted the fact that the meeting formats weren't going to change.  But something did change them, for the better.

     

    Because the meetings were so long, someone on the team suggested we institute "stand up meetings."  Instead of sitting at a traditional conference table, we took the chairs out of the room and ran meetings while standing on our feet.  Well, the length of the meetings DRASTICALLY dropped, because people didn't want to stand for long.  Meetings went from 30-60 minutes to roughly 1/2 of that while still delivering meaty content.  Neat, huh?

     

    Obviously, this system is not possible if you have a long strategic planning session, but it does work.  So why not try it yourself?

     

    Susan Sabo's Productivity Cafe has a post this week about making meetings shorter, and more effective. Check the post out by clicking here. [update: Susan has changed her incoming link urls and my original link does not work. In the meantime, here is our resource page on how to organize your office.

     

    Picture courtesy of The Real Estate Solution

     

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  • NFL Football Player Keyshawn Johnson Says Organization Improves His Game

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    Does organization enhance your game and give you a competitive edge?

    For the majority studying in college or university, your dorm room "interior design" probably consisted of posters, dartboards, hand-me-downs, garage-sale finds and Craigslist cast-offs.  We all know why:  budget and/or time dictations.

    But not for Keyshawn Johnson, the 34-year old Carolina Panthers wide receiver and alumni of USC (pictured above.)  His college quarters operated from a slightly different aesthetic:  organization.

    (more…)

  • Rediscover Your Desktop with This Article From Macworld

    A new office organizing client in Brentwood turned us onto a Macworld article about organizing your computer files, enabling shortcuts, using keywords, tackling electronic mail and how to rediscover the wonders of your desktop.

    MacIf you’re really into David Allen, author and the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach, you’ll love this article.  Follow the steps to get your computer in tip-top shape for Spring.

    Only part of the article is available online.  You can buy the magazine at your local newsstand, or send us an e-mail with the words "Macworld article requested" and we’ll sent you an electronic copy.

    Source:  Macworld Finesse Your Files

    Picture courtesy of California Bits

    After you’ve read the article, we invite you to share your thoughts!

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  • Professional Organizer Peter Walsh Tragically Shot During Television Show Taping?

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    Our Los Angeles clients are always asking us how their stuff "rates" in comparison to other people’s stuff (come on now, we never answer that question.)

    But during the organizing process, the conversations can create fireworks.  Some folks cry out of happiness, some engage in heated debates with their spouses or children to review decisions they might have made decades ago.  We can’t even imagine the theatrics getting violent, until now.

    For organizing expert Peter Walsh a turn to the tragic happened, He was shot in the foot by a client during a recent filming of his hit television series Clean Sweep.  Walsh, pictured above, most recently authored It’s All Too Much, and appeared on the Oprah Show.  Here is his account:

    "[The client] pushed me and I fell over an old table and then he pulled out an olive drab Glock 22 and fired two shots right at my foot!"

    Ambulance_1 "Carpenter Eric Stromer was the next on the scene and he wrestled Mr. Beaumont to the ground and took the gun from him.  "I’ve been in construction for quite some time, so Mr. Beamont was no match for me" said Stromer.  Mr. Walsh was taken to the emergency room where he was released and is expected to make a full recovery."

    Readers, is this story real?  You be the judge.

    Source:  Dewitte64’s blog on Vox

    Picture courtesy Redbook

    Related Posts:

    • Let’s review of code of ethics
    • American homes an orgy of consumption

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  • My Mother’s Garden – Documentary About Los Angeles Mother Who Hoards

    A new film explores one woman’s extreme attachment to material objects and her emotional struggle to let go of them.

    The film documents a family’s journey as Cynthia Lester and her three brothers come together to help thier mother, Eugenia Lester, with her acute case of Compulsive Hoarding Disorder, a disorder that affects over one million people in this country alone.

    When her disorder reaches a crisis point the family is forced to intervene and clean the house, despite her resistance. The film documents this process, as well as its painful, but ultimately healing aftermath.

    Thanks to blog reader and Los Angeles professional organizer Wendy Cross for the tip.

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