Moving Forward: Bye Bye Blogger, Hello WordPress

In the Fall of 2009, I sent my three year old off to preschool and started my blog. October will mark my 5 year anniversary of blogging and in that time, I've greatly enjoyed sharing helpful organizing tips, products and resources to make your lives easier.

But, it's time to move on to bigger and better. Bye-bye Blogger. Hello, WordPress!

I'll still be writing about helpful organizing tips, products and resources--just in a different place--my new website! If you haven't checked it out yet, take a moment to stop by and peruse the new Organized Artistry website.

When you get there, scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up for our newsletter. You'll get my 'Top Ten Tips for Organized Living' along with a newsletter chock full of organizing goodness.

I'll be blogging from my new website shortly. Getting used to a new home for my website is like getting used to a new place to live. I'll have trouble finding what I need. I'll bump into a few walls but I'm sure that slowly and over time, it will feel like 'home.'

Come welcome me to my new home! No basket of cookies necessary...

Anniversary Post - It's Been Four Years!

It doesn't seem that long ago that I dropped my three year old off at preschool, came back to my office and wrote my first blog post. I had so many ideas swirling around in my head--I couldn't wait to put them in blog form.

That three year old is now in second grade and it's the fourth anniversary of my blog! The four years have flown by quickly. I can't believe I've written close to two hundred posts in that time.

In reviewing my posts, I saw that the most popular post I've written over the past four years is Best Products for Organizing Your Car. I'm thinking of writing a Part 2. Or maybe a series of posts titled, 'Best Products for Organizing Your ________.' Gotta go with what works!

I'm always thinking about what I'll write next. Sometimes it will be about something I've seen, learned or experienced. Sometimes I'll write about a product or helpful resource. What I do try to keep in mind as I write is that a blog post should do at least one of five things for their readers:

• Educate
• Entertain
• Inform
• Inspire
• Empower

I keep this list handy when I'm gathering ideas for my blog. I write for my own enjoyment and to keep up my skills as a writer but for the most part, I write for YOU--my reader. I hope over the past four years I have educated, entertained, informed, inspired and empowered you to lead a more organized life.

I also have exciting news! All being well and good, this time next year, my blog will be part of a WordPress website--no more separate blog. I am in the process of hiring a designer to merge my existing website and blog into one WordPress site. I can't wait--my website has needed a makeover for a while and there are things about my blog I'd love to change (larger writing and photo area, different fonts/colors). I'll be keeping you posted throughout the process and I look forward to celebrating my fifth anniversary with you and my new, improved WordPress site.

Another exciting development--my book. Although I've said in past anniversary posts that I would post updates about the book I was writing, I've been pretty quiet. I promise to blog about it more often in the future. I completed the manuscript at the end of 2012 and hired a book coach this summer to help me navigate the sometimes bumpy road to self-publishing. One of the many details she helped me with was a title. The working title is: The Organized Bride's Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized. The peer review stage is almost complete and the manuscript will be reviewed by an editor by the end of the year.

With all of these exciting projects come extra work. And extra work means sometimes I don't have ample time to write a blog post (kids home on school vacations take away from writing time, too). So, I have been hosting guest bloggers to bring you new ideas and fresh perspectives when I am unable to fill that space. I hope you have learned from them--I know I've picked up a few great organizing ideas from my guest bloggers, too.

Image from beedivinedesigns.com

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my posts. Your support, kind comments and words of encouragement motivate me to keep writing and bringing you the best of the world of organizing. Onward to year five of blogging!

Blogging Beginner

Back in April, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the annual conference for the National Association of Professional Organizers in Orlando, Florida. I was especially excited to attend because I was signed up for workshops in Social Media and Blogging. I learned so much and came away with a ton of new and fresh ideas--I couldn't wait to start expanding my online presence!

Well, sometimes life gets in the way of starting or finishing projects (even for a Professional Organizer) and it took longer to start than expected, but here I am. I'm looking forward to bringing you organizing tips, hints, and tricks to make your lives easier as well as the latest in cool products, organizing factoids (great for cocktail parties), and a glimpse into my life as a Professional Organizer--what I've learned and what I've experienced in the past seven years as the owner of Organized Artistry, LLC.

Thanks for droppin' by...