More Time in 2009 with On the Go Concierge
By KENDRA BLEVINS
Associate Editor
ORGANIZING 101: One of Monika MacIntyre’s services is organizing. To organize a coat closet, she suggests putting the children’s coat hooks and drawers for mittens and scarves close to the ground so they can help keep their winter gear organized.
KENDRA BLEVINS for GTR Newspapers
Monika MacIntyre is on the go, literally, for anyone who wants or needs more time and less stress in 2009.
MacIntyre established On the Go Concierge & Errand Services, Inc. in October 2008 after an eight-year career in pharmaceutical sales. Her husband, Corey MacIntyre, general manager of the Tulsa Talons, is supportive of her new venture.
“My husband has been great. It’s been a big leap and he’s very supportive,” she says.
“I’m trying to make a living and have some fun. It’s been exciting.”
MacIntyre offers concierge services for $20-$40 an hour, depending on the type of service, to people who are too busy or unable to do errands such as shopping, organizing, waiting at home for repair services, and party planning.
Gift certificates for On the Go Concierge & Errand Services, Inc. are available and make great gifts, she says.
“Who doesn’t want more time? I think of myself as a personal assistant for the busy mom who needs help organizing a toy room, or older people who can’t get out, to the executive who works long hours.”
MacIntyre is a natural born organizer.
“I organized a gift wrapping closet for my mom when I was five years old and people tell me I’m good at organizing and decorating.”
And McIntyre is not intimidated by the size of any mess.
“I don’t think any organizing job is too overwhelming. I think a lot of people hide the mess, but it’s my job to organize it. People feel better when their house is organized.”
Now that cooler temperatures have arrived there are lots of coats, scarves and gloves that need a place to go.
MacIntyre has some organizing tips for the coat closet:
• Keep the kids things down low so they are accessible. Label a basket or drawer with their name and picture.
• Put hooks on the wall where children can reach them.
• Put the adult coats on matching hangers for a simple and clean look. Group like colors and items together.
• Use slim hangers in closets to make more space.
She also recommends that to keep things uncluttered, donate an older item when a new one is bought. To figure out what items are not being worn, turn all hangers with the hook facing outwards and when an item is worn, replace the hanger with the hook facing in. Do this for a month to get a visual of what is being used and what’s just taking up space.
For the clothes closet, MacIntyre suggests clear containers for shoes to make finding the right pair easy. Also she says to place shoes with one heel out and one toe out, that way there is a visual of the whole shoe and its height.
When the holiday has come and gone, pack up the decorations and bring out the next holiday’s gear.
Invest in clear plastic or color-coded containers to store holiday decorations. For example, use red and green containers for Christmas decorations. That way they are easy to spot in the garage or attic.
To keep strings of lights from getting tangled, wrap them around paper towel or gift wrap tubes and then put a colored label on the end each tube so it’s easy to see what color the lights are.
Wreath storage boxes are available at Target for about $8. The wreath boxes keep holiday wreaths from getting smashed and dusty. There are also boxes for ornaments that come with dividers so that wrapping each ornament isn’t necessary; the dividers keep them from rolling around.
For more information about On the Go Concierge & Errand Services, Inc. go to www.onthego.vpweb.com, or call (918) 671-0960.
Updated 12-31-2008
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