Lending a Helping Hand

A few months ago, Calm Order received a call from MKL Design Studios – one of their clients was in the middle of moving into a new home when a member of their family had a health emergency.

The clients were in the middle of two homes, with some of their belongings already in their new home, but the majority of their items still in their current home. Moving became a low priority in the midst of visiting the hospital and caring for their loved one.

When Calm Order received the news, Karen and her team jumped at the chance of giving a helping hand. Within a couple of hours of getting the call, Calm Order had assembled a team of organizers and movers, all willing to donate their time for free to help out the family. They also booked a time to start the moving and unpacking process to take place in the next couple of days and got to work with the preparations needed. This included doing a quick survey of the current and new home to develop a plan of action. In this time, Calm Order was also able to connect with the client to get a full picture of their move, lifestyle, and new home to develop the best organization plan for unpacking in their new home.

On the day of the move, the team started working at 9:00 a.m. including the owner of MKL Design Studios, her daughters, and a team from Get A Move On, which donated all the boxes and packing materials the team used throughout the move. Over 18 people in total came to help – and as Karen described, it was a true sense of the community coming together to help a fellow neighbour in their time of need.

The first step was to clear out the larger items that didn’t require packing, like larger furniture and appliances. The moving team got started on loading those items up and taking them to the new house, while the organizing team started to pack boxes with smaller household items. The first rooms the team focused on were the kitchen and the bedrooms, as these homes require the most time to unpack and organize. They’re also the most used and needed to be ready for the homeowners to use at the end of the day.

From here, part of the organizing team moved on to the new house to focus on unpacking while the rest of the team continued to pack up the rest of the house and the garage. In a matter of hours, the small but determined team had everything in the former house packed, moved, and unpacked to an organized state in the new house. The client was able to spend the morning and afternoon visiting their family member at the hospital and return to a finished house at the end of the day.

For everyone involved in the project, it was a pleasure to be able to help a fellow community member out. Moving can be a stressful process at the best of times but is the last thing on anyone’s mind when an emergency occurs. Calm Order and the rest of the team were happy to be able to help this individual and their family get unpacked in a new and organized home!

Calm Order is Best of Houzz 2020!

For the fifth year in the row, Calm Order is honoured to be awarded Best of Houzz 2020!

This award is given to professionals and designs on Houzz based on customer feedback, reviews and services offered. The purpose is to recognize the top-rated professionals and their work in all areas of the home - from organizing to design and landscaping. The “Best of Houzz” awards are organized by category and region and are marked on each professional’s profile on the Houzz website. This way, when people are looking to find a contractor or professional organizer in their area, they can tell based on their profile badges if they are a top-rated business or not.

Calm Order has been honoured to receive this award since 2016. As a Houzz recommended company, Calm Order is proud of the work we have done throughout the city of Calgary in the areas of decluttering, downsizing, professional organizing, space planning and move-related packing and unpacking.

On behalf of the Calm Order team, Karen said that they are “super delighted and excited” to be recognized for the fifth year in a row by the online interior design and home improvement site.

“We love what we do and we love our clients, and we strive to be better all the time,” she said.

To learn more about this award and view Calm Order’s profile, visit the Houzz website here. Calm Order clients are encouraged to visit and leave a review based on their experience, and those interested are welcome to view the profile to take a look at some of Calm Order’s projects and testimonials from past clients.

For more information on Calm Order’s team and service offerings, browse our website!

Make time for the people you love

Life is always busy, but when long weekends come around, the last thing families want to be doing is catching up on all the smaller tasks and projects that have been neglected. Organization is a key strategy that can help make sure you and your family stay on track, and have time to spend with each other on weekends and holidays. Below, we’ve outlined a few ideas you can use to make time for your family and friends:

Have family meetings

Set a time and day once a week for your family to discuss what events are happening in the coming week, what projects need to get done, and what tasks need to be accomplished around the house. This is a great opportunity to get a complete picture of what is going on with every member of your family, so you can properly plan your week ahead. This could include coordinating rides, planning meals and shopping trips, or scheduling when to pay bills. Make sure someone in your family takes note of everything that is going on, so nothing gets forgotten. This meeting is also a great time for everyone to take a break from school or work to be with each other.

Use a calendar

Family calendars are a great way to keep track of tasks, events, and due dates that come up during your family meeting. This way, there is one central area where everyone can view what is coming up in the week ahead. The calendar can come in many forms. Depending on your family and routine, one calendar set up in a central area of your home may work best, or you could synchronize online calendars with each family member. This way, every individual will be able to integrate their personal tasks and events with family ones.

The family calendar only works if every member can have easy access to it, and regularly updates it if new events or tasks come up. Make the calendar a part of your family routine, and consider updating it or revisiting it at your weekly family meetings.

Delegate tasks

Make sure each member of your family is contributing to household tasks like laundry, grocery shopping, yard work and cleaning. No one person should be solely responsible for everything, so at family meetings make sure each family member is assigned a list of tasks to complete that week. In order to make this work, assign task that match up with each person’s interests, schedules and abilities. For example, if you have young children, they might not be able to help with supper, they can set the dinner table when they get home from school. If you or your partner have late meetings, whoever is free should be scheduled to give rides to sports or music lessons, or alternate arrangements should be made ahead of time.

Tasks can also be delegated to people outside your family as well. Carpooling can be set up with your children’s friends so you and your partner don’t have to drive as often, or extended family can step in to help with other tasks to free up your time for driving. Alternatively, you can hire out tasks like shoveling, mowing or pet walking to local neighbours or businesses.

Keep your home organized

Having an organized home makes for an organized life. Eliminating your clutter, sorting through your belongings, and arranging items to suit your family’s lifestyle can have a major impact on how organized the rest of your life is. Consider making home organization a part of the smaller tasks that each member of the family needs to accomplish each week. Organization should become a part of your family’s regular routine. For example, toys should be put away once children are finished playing with them, and mail should be opened and dealt with each day instead of letting it pile up all week. By accomplishing these tasks on a regular basis, you and your family will have less to do around your home each week, leaving more time for you to relax on the evenings and weekends.

Simple changes to your family routine, like setting up weekly meetings and following a family calendar can help make sure everyone stays on track of household tasks and events. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and get the whole family involved in household tasks, and don’t underestimate the importance of having an organized home. Don’t let another long weekend like this one pass you by, and take the necessary steps to get your family organized!