It's time to give back!

With the holiday season fast approaching, there are many places and opportunities for people to give back to the community through various charitable organizations around the city. There is no greater feeling than knowing you have been able to help someone in need. Whether you decide to undertake a project on your own or with your family and friends, volunteering is a great way to give back to the community in a fun and rewarding way.

If you’re racking your brain for group gift ideas, or are dreading the thought of planning/attending another holiday party, consider starting a new tradition this year, and volunteering with friends and family. This way, you can give back to a great cause and spend time with the people you love. If a volunteer project isn’t a possibility this year, consider asking for financial donations to a charity of your choice, or hold a holiday event and collect non-perishable items for a food bank. There are many worthy organizations in Calgary that can use your help and support!

Recently, the team at Calm Order, together with friends and other volunteers, helped Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary to set up their new offices and homes. Servants Anonymous is a non-profit organization in Calgary that provides programs and support for women who have either experienced or are at risk of sexual exploitation or trafficking.

Calm Order and the volunteers sorted through furniture and other household items that were stored in the organization’s former facility and housing suites, packed up the remaining items, and unpacked them in their new location. This project was assisted by Just Junk, who also generously gathered household items that were donated to the new homes, and helped clear the old and worn items.

For Calgary residents, there are many projects and programs that are undertaken during the holiday season. However, keep in mind that many of these organizations operate throughout the entire year, and are always in need of any time or support you can offer.

The Calgary Food Bank, Calgary Meals on Wheels, The Mustard Seed, and Inn from the Cold all offer volunteer programs that individuals and groups can participate in during the holiday season (and the rest of the year). For a more extensive list of volunteer opportunities around Calgary, go here.

Fall Organizing Project: Get ready for the holidays!

That’s right – Christmas is coming! As December approaches, it’s time to undertake a fall organizing project to get your house ready for the holidays.

Many of us accumulate a lot of “stuff” during December. We have to bring out or buy a winter wardrobe, take out decorations and put them up, and of course, give and receive gifts with family and friends. These items tend to take up a lot of room in a home, and soon enough even more will be added.

Now is the time to undertake a fall organizing project of any rooms that will be affected during the holidays – any major gathering areas, storage rooms for decorations, or toy rooms where gifts are most likely to accumulate. Then, the sorting, purging, and organizing process begins! Carefully go through each of your items, and consider whether you should keep it, donate it, or toss it. Keep these questions in mind when you’re going through your items:

• Do I need this?
• Have I used it recently?
• Why am I keeping it?
• Does it still work, or is it fixable?
• Can (or will) it be replaced?

This process can be time consuming and overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of items to go through. Split the project up by room, and give yourself plenty of time to go through the items. Always keep in mind that the holidays are coming, and you will have even more items to store or put away. If you’re expecting a new gift, or know your kids will be getting new toys, then it’s important to make sure you purge some of these items to make room for new ones. When you’re going through decorations, check through ornaments and lights to see if anything is broken, and if anything is, either repair it or toss it. Christmas decorations can have a lot of sentimental attachments, but if they haven’t been used for decorating in the last couple of years or if you have no room to put them up, consider donating them to someone who can.

It’s difficult to add more closets and storage spaces to your home, but it’s easy to make room in your existing spaces. Take the time to go through the items you already have so your home is ready to accommodate any new additions during the holiday season!

Unsure about how to get organized? Get advice directly from an organizer!

Organizing is no easy task. Many people struggle to achieve the calm and orderly environment they dream of all on their own. With the help of a professional organizer, dreams can become a reality! However, there are some organization projects that are small, or unique to the items/rooms that a person may have. Even after an organizer comes in, there could be problems that come up in the future when people are trying to maintain the organized environment they have established. Fortunately, Calm Order can now help with the important questions you may have about getting organized!

Calm Order is proud to introduce Ask the Organizer, a virtual space where questions about anything to do with organizing, from recommended methods, to products, to moving suggestions can all be answered. Simply follow this link, submit your question, and check back to see the answer from Calm Order’s Founder, Karen. Even if you don’t have a question, be sure to visit the page to see what questions and answers have been submitted by others.

While the internet can provide a lot of different suggestions and advice for how to get organized, consulting with a professional organizer directly provides benefits that you can’t find when you’re searching on your own. By submitting your own question, you can get advice that is unique to your organizing problem.

Professional organizers have the skills and training to help you tackle any organizing problem, and by getting answers from them directly, you can learn about different methods or products that you may have never considered before. This direct contact also allows you to follow up or ask multiple questions, even after your initial organizing project is completed. Sometimes, smaller issues or questions will come up as you continue to maintain the organized space you have created.

Organizing can also be a stressful and emotional task, and it helps to be able to talk to someone who is experienced and knows exactly what you are going through. For people with more complex organizing projects, an initial question or inquiry through Ask the Organizer can set you on the right track by coordinating professional support, or referring you to other helpful resources. Whatever your question or problem may be, it pays off to ask the organizer directly!