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Grab peace of mind by collecting documents
in one place
A couple of weeks ago, I gave a presentation on home
staging at the regional conference of the National
Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). I was
only a little bit nervous, as I knew my material quite
well, but nevertheless I was glad when I was finished
and I could relax and enjoy the rest of the conference.
The theme of this year's event was Transforming Lives.
This may seem grandiose, but I've got two friends who
are professional organizers who tell me about clients
becoming very emotional when their spaces are finally
free of the chaos of disorganization that once loomed
so heavily. Getting systems in place and things is
order is very gratifying. I too have seen how
people's lives are changed for the better after their
interior space becomes a harmonious reflection of who
they are and how they want to live. One client still
tells me, even a few years after finishing his design
project, "I love coming home everyday."
It's always interesting to see what's new in the world
of professional organizing. Vendors displayed a variety
of new products, from filing systems to closet organizers
to specialized storage boxes for game boards. Just
looking at the items made me feel like I should go
home and reorganize some closets and file drawers.
My home office is in pretty good shape, but I recognize
that there is definitely some room for improvement
elsewhere. If you come over, promise you won't
look in our hall closet.
One particular product caught my eye, as it looked
to be very practical. It is called the Grab-n-Go Box.
It is designed to hold all of your important documents,
keeping them in one place, ready to take with you in
case of emergency. The inventor is a professional organizer
named Suzan Harnish. Suzan and her husband found themselves
facing evacuation due to a raging fire in the canyon
near their home. While she knew where all of her important
papers were in the house, she didn't have them all
in one place, and didn't have time to retrieve each
one. Fortunately, the fire was contained and they were
spared, but from this experience, Suzan realized an
important need and created the Grab-n-Go Box.
The sturdy metal box comes with dozens of pre-labeled
file folders and forms to fill out by hand or on the
computer, along with a helpful guide. The folders are
organized into color-coded categories and include space
for financial, legal, and medical documents, just to
name a few. Suzan consulted with attorneys, insurance
agents and financial planners to make sure everything
was covered. There is even a category called "Passing
On" which holds documents relating to a person's
final wishes. The Grab-n-Go Box concept is one we should
all embrace. One never knows when disaster might strike;
it would provide great peace of mind to know that important
documents are all in one place, organized and accessible.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on Nov. 25, 2006.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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