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Napo-Gpc x DressLands Jersey Dress- Cracked Gold Foil Print/ Long Sleeves

At first glance, this Napo-Gpc x Dresslands dress looks like a two piece skirt and blouse set. However, it is one beautiful dress just waiting to complete your evening wear wardrobe. The lightweight stretch fabric from which our jersey dress was created, is soft, supple and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The cracked gold foil print catches the light and shimmers as the wearer walks. This dress features a blouson bodice and has a dropped waist that has been elasticized for comfort. The bodice has a rounded neckline, and a graceful scooped back to add a stylish element to the reverse side of the dress. This dress has straight cut long sleeves for a sophisticated look. The skirt portion of the dress is straight, fitted and has a length that hits approximately 2” above the knee. This Napo-Gpc x www.dresslands.com dress features long sleeves that are tailored for a comfortable fit. We offer this beautiful jersey dress for purchase in sizes Small, Medium and Large.

This is not going to be a blog post about a hysterically funny, smart lady that I loved. No this is about the process we had to go through to empty my mother-in-law’s apartment after she passed away. We had to accomplish this task in 2 days. Yikes.

Organization was a must here. My husband, we will call him “Mr. Executor”, came to me (his Personal Professional Organizer) to figure out how to achieve his mother’s goals, make sure everyone was treated fairly, and get the job done quickly.

First, we were surprised at how much actually was in her apartment. It always looked so nice. My mother in law had good taste and liked to shop!

• First we determined what the move out date would be, since we had to pay by the day for her apartment the sooner, the better.

• From here I created a spreadsheet of all the apartment contents. We only inventoried the furniture, decor and artwork, all the other items were going to be distributed between the brothers with the balance being donated.

Mr. Executor was concerned that everyone would want the same items. This was going to be the challenge, so he thought.

• I sent the spreadsheet to the brothers along with a set of rules to clarify the process. They checked off what they wanted and returned the spreadsheet to me.

• I cut and pasted their list of items into the master spreadsheet and compared them. Happily there were only a couple of lamps that more than one person wanted. Luckily those few items were easily decided (no one had their heart set on them).

• All of the clothing would be donated; the brothers didn’t want any part of this process. I got to work with my laptop, trash bags and Its Deductible started listing. All the shoes went to the NAPO Philadelphia Soles 4 Souls campaign..

• We also decided that the small valuables (think jewelry and silver) as well as the photos would be done at a later date. They were sent to our house to be secured until that time came.

• Thursday Mr. Executor, myself, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law got there bright and early with our boxes, tape guns, and trash bags. We needed to pack everything and have it ready for the Friday afternoon truck.

We found some party hats, noisemakers, and a magic wand, in the spirit of my mother in law we wore these the better part of the 2 days and had a lot of laughs. This she would have appreciated!

• Basically at this point my sister in law and I took over, since all of the furniture, décor and most of the artwork was already decided that left the boring stuff to us…dishes, pots and pans, the bathroom, and linens. We determined who could use what, it was packed into boxes for her house and my house.

• All else was donated. Get out the trusty laptop and Its Deductible.

• Friday afternoon the trucks came we packed my brother-in-laws stuff in one of them. Did a delivery to West Chester, the rest on to Pittsburgh. The second truck got loaded, delivered everything to my house, then went back to collect the donations and dropped them off.

We were done! Oh I forgot we still have the small valuables to do one of these days. Since we had such a great experience with the spreadsheet, we will do that again, with photos this time!

We were anticipating the worst-case scenario where emotions would get the best of everybody. With some organization, coordination, and ground rules, this was a very successful family event. We actually had some fun along with the tears!

Ok, so you missed Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  You can still give great gifts!

Here are some ideas for gifts that you can pick up this week. Lately there are a lot of gift certificates that you can buy online, and then print! Instantaneous.

Service Gifts

• Cleaning services – everyone could use this one!
• Car wash tickets or car detailing gift certificate – great gift to use during the sloppy winter months.
• Spa services – nails, hair, skin & massages.
• Personal chef package – I love having all that wonderful food in my freezer!
• Photography sitting
• Professional organizing services

Entertainment

• iTunes gift card
• ebooks – ebooks.com,  Amazon,  Google ebooks,  Barnes & Noble
• Balloon rides
• Tickets – Plays, movies, the symphony, concerts, sporting events – unlimited opportunity here!
• Movie tickets
• Netflix or Amazon Prime (this is on my list)

Memberships

• Museums
• …of the Month Clubs – they have everything from perfume to cigars to dog treats and peanut butter!

Consumables

• Restaurant gift certificates
• Coffee cards from your favorite local shop
• Homemade cookies – you can never go wrong here!
• Fancy chocolates – come on, everyone loves chocolate.
• Coffee or tea – create a nice basket with these.
• Jams, jellies, chutneys
• Williams-Sonoma
• Zingerman’s

Classes

• Cooking classes – great for the beginner and the gourmet cook.
• Art lessons
• Yoga
• Personal trainer

Financial

• Charitable donation in someone’s name – are they interested in art, the environment, education?  Just look at all the requests that you are getting on the mail for ideas. Check them out here before you make your purchase.
• Gift Cards – available pretty much in every grocery or drug store.

Hopefully this list will give you some last minute gift ideas that will make your life easier and your gift recipient happy! The extra bonus is that these gifts will not create or increase the clutter in one’s life.

If you have any other ideas, please let us know… we are always looking for new ideas.

Dazzle your friends, family and maybe even yourself!  No more last minute holiday chaos for you.  Follow some of these tips and reap the rewards of a sane and organized holiday season!

Tip #1
If you use a lot of services, make sure you get them scheduled NOW.
•    Window cleaners
•    Carpet cleaners
•    Landscapers
•    Whoever installs your lights

Tip #2
Decide what date you will be decorating, set that time aside now. Many people do it Thanksgiving weekend. (Hopefully the weather will be good.)

Tip #3   Check & Order your wrapping supplies:
•    Personalized Wrapping Supplies
•    Eco Friendly
•    Bulk Wrapping Supplies

If you are having a party…

Tip #4    Choose your date (get it on the calendar and it will happen)

Tip #5    Create your guest list (you can always add and cut later)

Tip #6     Call your favorite caterer NOW

If you are doing a card…

Tip #7     Choose your photo now or, book your photographer holiday.

Tip #8    Review your mailing list

Tip #9    Choose how you are going to send your holiday cards:
Regular Card, Photo frame, or the greenest of all Paperless Post

Tip #10    Create a holiday notebook (it can be digital, or paper). Create sections for your party, your cards, your gift lists, entertaining, travel, decorating. This is a great resource for the various components: List Plan-It

Now you have some tools that will help you approach the holidays with a smile on your face! Once you have these accomplished you will have a framework to sanity and organization. You will DAZZLE those around you, and maybe even yourself!