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Where the heck did I put that file? Don’t I own any tape? OMG why do I have so much tape? These are just a few examples of the things I struggle with in my home office. I love that I primarily work from home. For me, I can’t imagine it any other way. Personally, I feel I’m more productive without the distraction of other people, and it’s a bonus that I can work in my PJs. I hear they frown on that in an office setting. Plus, my assistant is a six-pound YorkiePoo named Koa. He needs his space as well. 
 
For years I’ve had this fantasy about a clean, organized and put together home office. One where I knew where everything was. A spaced that inspired creativity. When I moved into my current home a year ago, we set my office up, then reset it up, then did it again, then moved it around again. Nothing was flowing or working, and it was a mess. 
 
Fortunately for me I met Tonka Bay resident and professional organizer Michele Dudley of Reyestone Organization. Dudley and I sat down to talk about what a professional organizer does and doesn’t do, and why. Simply she helps individuals and families free up a ton of time. This made so much more sense to me after she did my office. 
 
I realized that I don’t think twice about seeking out professional help from accountants, doctors or lawyers. If I was having issued with getting and staying organized, why not consult with a professional organizer? Dudley has multiple certifications as an organizer. The first thing she does is a consultation in the space you need help with. 
 
She went over my work habits with me, how my mind works in terms of organization, and what my needs really are for the space. She came back to tackle the job and that is when my jaw dropped. The woman is a work horse! I’ve never seen someone get so much done in such a short period of time. She made sure I know that I should take a break whenever I needed one, that she knows not everyone works at her speed. 
 
Dudley had a system for taking everything apart and putting it back together again. Never in a thousand years, would I have been able to get through everything she did on my own, never! What I was missing was a system for getting organized and also staying organized. I was so overwhelmed by all of it that I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. What Dudley does is she customizes systems for each client, because we often think differently. She clears the forest of clutter that doesn’t need to be there, so the remaining trees can thrive. 
 
Dudley showed me how to handle things as they came in, in a way that wasn’t overwhelming when I got really busy. Sharing your mess with her was a vulnerable experience but one void of any judgement. She was there to educate, empower and help me, and she did. 
 
By the time she was done, I had a clean, organized office that was set up for efficiency. It was my fantasy office. There is even a space for my six-pound assistant. He has his own little space next to my desk where he loves to hide out in and enjoy his bones. 

The true test of myew organized office came in the following weeks. Could I really keep it organized using what Dudley taught me? Well, I did and without much effort. The tools I was missing before she provided for me. Now I have a system.

The feeling of sitting down in my office and not feeling overwhelmed is priceless. Soon I’m going to have her help me organize my bedroom and closet. You can learn more about what Reyestone Organization can do by visiting www.ReyestoneOrganization.com 

Featured in the Lakeshore Weekly News

Ten years ago, I approached a local editor with the idea of me writing a column called “Outside the Box.” I wanted to write about fun and different things I experienced around the Lake Minnetonka area, as well as my thoughts on different topics I hoped might resonate with others in the community.

​Writing was not my background, but it was and is my passion. I didn’t study it in school, nor did I have a degree of any kind. What I had was a desire to share. I also had crappy health insurance, making therapy hard to come by, not to mention I was in Scientology, where counseling outside of the church was not an option. My column became my therapy.

Featured in the Lakeshore Weekly News

Ten years ago, I approached a local editor with the idea of me writing a column called “Outside the Box.” I wanted to write about fun and different things I experienced around the Lake Minnetonka area, as well as my thoughts on different topics I hoped might resonate with others in the community.

Writing was not my background, but it was and is my passion. I didn’t study it in school, nor did I have a degree of any kind. What I had was a desire to share. I also had crappy health insurance, making therapy hard to come by, not to mention I was in Scientology, where counseling outside of the church was not an option. My column became my therapy.

Featured in the Lakeshore Weekly News

I’m celebrating 365 days of being sober. That’s 525,600 minutes without alcohol. I stopped drinking because it was making my auto-immune issues worse and because I felt I indulged in consuming wine and vodka a tad too much. At the time my over-indulging was a secondary reason for quitting.
When I first stopped drinking I wondered if I was an alcoholic. I come from a long line of them on both sides of my family, so it was very possible. There were several times I would lay awake at night and google “How do you know if you are an alcoholic?”

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I’m convinced more than ever that how we choose to view a situation affects the outcome. There is the cliche question of do you see the glass half empty or do you see the glass half full?
When you see the glass as half full, you are grateful for what is there. When you see the glass half empty, you are resentful over what is not there. Gratitude has a way of turning what we have into enough. Interestingly, showing gratitude toward a person or behavior encourages more of that behavior.

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Despite the fact that I’ve worked in radio, have been on TV, currently host a podcast about the joys and pitfalls of being a grown woman and have written about my life and community for 10 years, I’ve always felt I was an introvert.
People have a hard time believing this about me because I’m such an open book. Being an introvert doesn’t necessarily mean you are a wallflower. Being an extrovert doesn’t necessarily mean you are the life of the party.

Being that I’ve been sober for eight months, a winery might be the last place you might think you would see me. The thing is, I love wine. I love the social aspects of it and all that goes into creating it.
When I drank it, I drank too much of it. I have both Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s, two autoimmune diseases, which are made worse when consuming alcohol or foods that cause inflammation. This is why I had to break up with wine and I eat a diet that is Paleo, which is also anti-inflamatory.

My daughter Kelsey was about to run out of the house we were renting on the Big Island of Hawaii to get her brother, who was down the street at the beach with a few other family members.
I told her to stay, that she has a baby now. She didn’t listen. Her thought was that if we were going to die, we were going to die together and she needed to bring her brother home.