Volunteer of the Year – Cecilia Anderson.

Cecilia Anderson and Pierette Ashcroft

Professional Organizer of the Year – Janice Rasmussen

Janice Rasmussen and Pierrette Ashcroft

Corporate Partner of the Year – Modern Image

Andy Reiman, Modern Image, and Terri Fischer

Our Fabulous Freshman – Mary Malmberg

Nealey Stapleton and Mary Malmberg

We Can Always Count On You – Lauri Mennel

Lauri Mennel and Nealey Stapleton

Quiet Volunteer – Keri Myers

Nealey Stapleton and Keri Myers

NAPO-WDC held their annual Awards Bash on Monday, May 6, 2013 at Gordon Biersch in Rockville, MD. The 33 members and Corporate Partners in attendance took a break from their hectic schedules and enjoyed a fun night out with fellow organizers while recognizing all the great work the chapter did over the past year. The Awards Bash was filled with networking, delicious food and plenty to drink, and (of course) awards!

Pierrette Ashcroft, outgoing Director of Programs, and Nealey Stapleton, outgoing Director of Communications and Technology, both did a fantastic job of organizing the evening’s activities. Nealey also acted as Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening and announced award winners. GO Month and MARCPO volunteers were recognized for their hard work on their respective programs. President Janet Schiesl highlighted NAPO-WDC’s accomplishments and thanked the current board for their service. She then welcomed the new board and gave them their oath of office.

Awards were given to the following members: Janice Rasmussen was given the Professional Organizer of the Year Award; Our Fabulous Freshman was Mary Malmberg; Lauri Mennel won the We Can Always Count On You Award; Keri Myers was our Quiet Volunteer; Modern Image was voted Corporate Partner of the Year; and Cecilia Anderson was named Volunteer of the Year. Our lucky winner of a free NAPO-WDC membership for a year was Jody Al-Saigh.

We look forward to winding up the membership year with our next meeting in Fairfax, VA on June 3rd with Dr. Dale Keeton as our guest speaker.

That’s me on the right. Yes, we are hula hooping! I have never stuck with a workout routine before, and I lost 14 pounds in the first few months using the tips below!

1. What form of exercise is for you? It’s very important to figure out what kind of exercise you like to do. If you’re doing something you enjoy, then you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

2. Keep it fresh. You don’t have to be limited to just 1 form of exercise. If you often get bored with the same old routine, then mix it up. Create a fitness routine that involves different forms of exercise (like different classes at the gym) or a type of exercise that requires learning new elements often (like hula hooping or dancing).

3. Location, location, location. Where you work out is a huge factor in committing to your routine. If your lifestyle does not have room for a gym membership, then don’t force it. Rather, create a workout regimen you can comfortably stick to at home. Alternatively, if there are too many distractions at home, then invest in a gym membership where the environment is more conducive to exercising.

4. Find the time. Most people let their fitness routine fall through the cracks in the name of not having enough time. You may not have the time to work out for an hour every day, but you have the time to work out. See the difference? Look at your weekly calendar, and choose 3 15-minute blocks of time to exercise. Pencil them in and stick to it.

5. Find the right time. If you’re not a morning person, then don’t try to wake up extra early to exercise before work. Rather, think about the time of day when you are the most motivated to exercise. For some people it is the morning and working out wakes them up. For me, it’s the 30-45 minutes before I shower in the early evening.

6. Forget about the pounds. Losing weight takes time, so don’t focus all your energy on how much you weigh. Instead, turn your thoughts to getting lost in your workout routine and enjoying the little break from the world it provides.

7. Measure your success in different ways. The obvious thing is to measure your success by weighing yourself to see how many pounds you’ve lost. You should do this, but not on a daily basis. It’s like the stock market: it goes up and down every day, so check in once a month to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.

More importantly, measure your victories by how you feel. Do you have more energy? Are you happier? Do your pants fit a little better? Yes?! Then you’ve got an overwhelmingly successful fitness routine!

Nealey Stapleton is a professional organizer, a small business owner, an avid blogger, an adoring wife, a Pug lover, a hula hooping guru, a cheese addict, and a happy napper.

She started her business, On Track, in 2007 with the goal of helping people get more organized and lead more efficient lives. A few years later, she established The-Organizing-Boutique.com in hopes of extending her reach across the nation and around the world.

A professional organizer, a member of NAPO for 6 years and a NAPO-WDC board member for 4 years, Nealey absolutely loves being a part of the industry and strives to contribute to its continuing advancement. For more, you can follow Nealey on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Janet Schiesl

The turnover of the NAPO-WDC board of directors on May 15^th marks the end of my tenure as chapter president, and this will be my last blog post in this position. I hope that I have made it clear what a wonderfully encouraging, professional group this is through my posts. I hope some of you feel the same way I do – The people of NAPO-WDC are a big reason for my business success.

I’d like to thank all of my fellow chapter members who have served as board members during my term. You have made it a pleasure for me to participate, and I have learned so much from the experience. It has definitely been a situation where I have received more than I have given.

Each year at this time a new board takes over. There is a learning curve for new board members and it’s back to business for the returning ones, but everyone comes to the table with new ideas and a new enthusiasm that will lead us into the next chapter year. I am confident that the 2013-2014 NAPO-WDC board will continue to lead our chapter forward and do great things.

Once again, it has been a pleasure to serve. See you in the audience at the next chapter meeting!

If you’d like to contact our President, you can email her at president@dcorganizers.org.

Monday, May 6, 2013 @ 7pm – The Tribute Bash: A Salute to NAPO DC Volunteers 2013

$20 per member

Please direct questions to Pierrette Ashcroft at development@dcorganizers.org.

The meeting started with active networking. Members visited the Corporate Partner Meet and Greet tables hosted by Closet Factory and 1 to 1 Discovery and the Ask the Experts table.

Janet Schiesl welcomed everyone.  Maria White (in for Kimberly Gleason) introduced our 5 guests. Terri Fischer introduced our Corporate Partners in attendance:

Alonso Zamora from B-Thrifty spoke about his background and his company. B-Thrifty is more than a thrift store; they connect people in the community to distribute large amounts of donations. They are for profit, but 40% of what they make goes back into the community.

Educational Program

Pierrette Ashcroft introduced the educational program: Universal Design – Planning Ahead. Mindy Mitchell from Sun Design is a professional organizer and a certified aging in place specialist, which go hand in hand. Universal Design is about flow and function, much like organizing. The whole point behind aging in place is people’s bodies are constantly changing. This applies to the whole family – babies growing up all the way to adults retiring and getting older.

There are 7 Universal Design principles:

1. Equitable Use – useful to all abilities
2. Flexibility In Use – choice in use
3. Simple & Intuitive Use – no language barriers
4. Perceptible Information – visual, audio, tactile
5. Tolerance For Error – minimize hazards of intended use
6. Low Physical Effort – efficient with minimum fatigue
7. Size & Space For Approach & Use – regardless of body size, posture or mobility

There are 4 Universal Design concepts:

1. Barrier Free
2. Adaptable Design
3. Accessible Design
4. Visitability

Aging in place is good for multi-generational living, increases average life expectancy and can be more cost effective than a retirement community.

More information about getting certified as an aging in place specialist can be found on NAHB.org and AARP.org is a comprehensive resource with universal design checklists and more.

Chapter Business Meeting

Janet congratulated the new Board of Directors for the 2013-2014 year.

Andrea Hancock announced that all MARCPO chair positions have been filled, but she is always looking for committee volunteers.

For all those going to conference, download the NAPO app. It’s very handy!

Our door prize winner was Alisa Levy.

The night ended with lively networking.

The next meeting will be the Awards Bash held in Rockville, Maryland on May 6, 2013.

Getting involved in my local chapter of NAPO has given me great opportunities to work and socialize with other organizers. I seek out events and ongoing projects where I can volunteer my time collaborating with NAPO-WDC members to promote our organization. I had a wonderful time working together to create a fun and interactive GO Month presentation as part of our community partnership with Building Better Futures. We spoke with local teenagers about time management as it applies to their lives, now and in college. Another great opportunity to volunteer with NAPO-WDC presented itself when I was asked to be involved in planning MARCPO, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Professional Organizers. Getting involved in the marketing committee has opened my eyes up to tons of valuable skills and tools for getting the public interested in an event, so my own business will benefit from the practice I’m getting marketing MARCPO.

Without the chances to meet other professional organizers beyond the formal setting of our monthly meetings, I probably wouldn’t feel as connected to my work as part of a larger industry and body of knowledge. We ask each other questions, share our experiences, and even serve as referrals for more business. I feel so lucky to be part of a community of volunteer-minded professionals in my field.

Cecilia Anderson of Splendidly Organized developed a passion for organizing early in life. Moving around frequently, she learned countless practical ways to make life and its transitions smoother. Cecilia brought these skills to her teaching practice by keeping an organized, productive classroom. Her success in helping special needs adolescents in organization and time management has paved the path for a future in professional organizing.  You can find her on Facebook at facebook.com/splendidlyorganized.

Sometimes a missed opportunity comes in the form of a sale, if you don’t return a phone call fast enough, for example, or a prospective client winces at your quoted price. Maybe you’ve hesitated when asked to give a presentation to a group or don’t take a job that is a little outside of your comfort zone. How does that make you feel? Less than exceptional? Sometimes relieved? Both? We all learn something when we feel that we missed an opportunity, and vow to do things differently the next time.

Coming up is the biggest NAPO opportunity of the year – the 2013 NAPO Conference and Expo! It will be held in New Orleans later this month, and there is no better opportunity for a professional organizer to learn and grow their business. Ask anyone who went to the conference last year in Baltimore, and they will tell you. I know the cost of travel is keeping some from attending again this year or maybe new members are hesitating for fear of the unknown, but I just want to take a moment to urge you to reconsider. Many NAPO-WDC members are attending the conference and will return with a wealth of information and stories to tell.

If you choose not to attend, how will you justify this missed opportunity to yourself? I don’t want you to think, “Gee, I wish I’d done that.” I hope to see you there!

If you’d like to contact our President, you can email her at president@dcorganizers.org.

Kena Shriners

9001 Arlington Boulevard

Fairfax, VA 22031

Universal Design – Planning Ahead

When organizing for senior clients are you incorporating elements of Universal Design? Aging in Place reflects the notion of multi-generational living to support every family member, no matter what their age or ability.

Mindy Mitchell will discuss what is Universal Design and how it came about. We’ll learn what we should look for when a client is ready to adapt their home so they can age-in-place.

Mindy is a Design Consultant with Sun Design. She has more than 25 years experience as a professional organizer and uses her unique talents to see and create solutions to her client’s challenges.

Mindy has been awarded the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) certification through the National Association of Home Builders. She speaks, writes and lives the concepts of unique design and solution-based living and has been recognized for numerous award winning projects.

In addition to being an avid traveler, Mindy enjoys writing, holistic health and looking forward to her next great adventure.

The meeting started with active networking.  Members visited the Corporate Partner Meet and Greet tables hosted by B-Thrifty and Book Bliss Online.

Janet Schiesl welcomed everyone. Kimberly Gleason introduced our guests. Mary Malmberg introduced our Corporate Partners in attendance:

Alex Powers spoke about Junk King.  After much of the initial donating and purging has been done at a home, Junk King clears out all the remaining items. When clients use Junk King, they save money and time because they don’t have to clear out the junk themselves.  Junk King is fully insured and veteran owned.

Educational Program

Pierrette Ashcroft introduced the educational program: Dinnertime. Unscrambled. By Aviva Goldfarb, founder of Six O’Clock Scramble.

Aviva spoke about how to take the scramble out of dinner time.  Meal planning, dinner time, and grocery shopping can be a source of stress for many families.

Studies have shown the benefits family dinners give children, but the planning and decision-making around this time of day can cause stress for parents.

Aviva provided seven steps on how to go from scramble to sanity at dinnertime:

1. Keep a grocery list in a prominent place in the kitchen.
2. Look at your calendar for the upcoming week to see when the family will be home for dinner.
3. Take stock of what you currently have in your fridge and see what needs to be used before it goes bad.
4. Select the recipes for the week.  It’s good to plan for dinner every night of the week except for one.  Try to include variety to avoid boredom!
5. Update your grocery list.
6. Keep the freezer stocked.
7. Do ahead or delegate.  See what you can do in the morning or if someone else can do some of the prep.  Enlist everyone in your house to help with prep, shopping, and planning!

Aviva took questions from members on how to handle challenging dinnertime issues, such as picky eaters and getting kids to eat healthy food.  Members provided techniques that have worked from them as well.

Chapter Business Meeting

Board elections are coming up, so each nominee participated in a round table discussion to share why they want to be on the board and to take questions from members.

Are you going to NAPO National – register now!  Early bird ends March 15th!

Our door prize winner was Stephen Bok.

The next meeting will be April 1, 2013, in Fairfax, VA.