Vali G. Heist began organizing at the age of five while cleaning up her room with her older sister. She started her professional organizing business after years of being asked to organize the homes of her family and friends. Organize This! Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and Ruminations about your CRAP began as a collection of the organizing columns she wrote for a local newspaper. CRAP is Vali's acronym that means Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure. The book includes numerous tips on how to organize, green ways to recycle unwanted CRAP, success stories from clients, and further ruminations about CRAP. Vali helps her readers explore why they have so much CRAP in their homes, why they don't throw it out, and why they don't want to deal with it. She helps the reader answer those questions and provides practical, easy tips to organize their homes and help them live the life they really want. In addition, her book is chock-full of organizing resources, is fun to read, and makes a great gift for the organized person as well as the organizationally-challenged. Vali's insight helps readers learn the difference between belongings and CRAP and empowers them to discover that less is more. Her book also proposes how to live a more 'green' life and help save the planet in the process. Her passion is to find simple, easy to implement ways to organize life at home and at work and pass them on to her readers. Bob Rios, of Bob Rios Visual Strategies, created unique cartoons for the book to illustrate the dilemmas many readers face as they organize and unclutter their lives. Bob is a graphic designer, website developer and of course a talented illustrator, who lives in Lebanon, Pennsylvania with his wife and five children. Bob uses his creativity and design expertise to further the business goals of his clients from Fortune 500 to small home businesses. Through consultation and conversation, he gathers content, colors, type, illustrations, and shapes to capture and convey a company's message. You'll find his self-portrait on page 99 of the book! Donna Smallin, Certified Professional Organizer and author of Organizing Plain & Simple and several other books on organization describes Vali's book as "Simultaneously witty and practical, Organize This! is the intelligent person's guide to a simpler, more organized life." Look for Donna's latest eBook on Amazon.com entitled How to Declutter and Make Money Now! by Donna Smallin Kuper. Chris Crouch is president and founder of DME Training and Consulting, author of several books on improving productivity and developer of the GO System training course. He describes Vali's book: "Stuff, or as Vali calls it, CRAP, can and will easily find its way into your life. The challenge is to limit the inflow and purge the unnecessary items that somehow remain stuck in your environment. Vali's insightful book will help you accomplish those two life-changing goals." Chris continues to research and study both the mental and physical aspects of living a more joyful and productive life and pass them on to his readers. Debbie Lillard, Certified Professional Organizer and author of Absolutely Organize Your Family and Absolutely Organized: A Mom's Guide describes Vali's book: "Vali writes with an environmentally responsible attitude towards ridding the world of CRAP. She understands the causes of disorganization, leaves judgment at the doorstep, and jumps right in to tackle the problems. Her resources are valuable - this is a book you'll want to recycle and reuse again and again." Debbie owns an organizing business in Broomall, Pennsylvania and shares her expert advice on various media channels. Vali wants readers to know that the goal of organizing isn't to have a perfect, 'Better Homes and Garden' house (hers isn't!), but rather to provide order to enjoy the space you have, handle the tough times with grace, and aspire to live the best life possible!
About the Author: Vali G. Heist, M.Ed. is a Certified Professional Organizer and Owner of The Clutter Crew in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. Vali lives with her husband Bob, two Jack Russells, Peanut and Fiona, and a cat named Scaredy. Her son Bobby lives in Brooklyn, New York with his rescued pit bill named Archer. Vali's husband has been an unwilling guinea pig for her organizing strategies and has helped her understand the emotional side of stuff. Vali's son has willingly grown up to be a thrower like his mom and follows the guideline of 'buy something new, donate something old'. Vali's pets have taught her not to value anything too much because tomorrow it might be chewed up or peed on. Vali started her business The Clutter Crew in 2005 while sitting on a New Jersey beach brainstorming with her sister. She continues to be humbled when her clients call her to assist them with organizing their homes and their lives. Vali sells her client's belongings for them on eBay with her sister, Laurie Becker, who is an education specialist trained by eBay. They frequently offer classes on 'How to Sell on eBay'. Vali is a Certified Trainer for the GO (get organized) System for businesses. The GO System teaches employees and business owners how to be more focused, productive, and organized in the workplace. The GO System has trainers across the country and in Asia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. As a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO), Vali is a member of the item writing team for the certification exam for professional organizers. The CPO is considered the gold standard for professional organizers and the mission of the Board of CPOs is to increase the professionalism of the organizing industry and to advance the credibility and ethical standards of the profession through credentialing. Vali's extensive background of 24 years in Higher Education includes training, administration, project management, writing, institutional accreditation, and editorial production. Her bachelor's degree is in Business Administration from Shippensburg University and her Master's Degree is in Higher Education from Kutztown University. Vali is a popular guest speaker on anything to do with organizing home, work, or life. She continues to write a monthly column for the Reading Eagle in Reading, Pennsylvania called "Organize This!" and has a blog on OnlineOrganizing.com. She enjoys reading an eclectic variety of books while lounging on her screened-in porch with her barking dogs at her side.