Guest Guru Deborah Shearer, co-owner of Organize.com

Great Pre-Teen, Teen & College Back to School Products and Organizing Ideas.

We want you to Rock Your Style for Back to School 2009!

While there is still time to enjoy summer vacation or “staycation”, it’s not too soon to prepare and get organized for Back to School. Whether you are preparing your first dorm room or this year’s locker space, start early for the best selection and to avoid last minute stress. Back to campus at any level should include fun!

The low down and easy steps to Back to School planning:

Step #1 – Make Lists!

Make a wish list of your wants and needs and create a budget. We’ve created a ‘must have list’ for those who are college bound. It will help you to think through every area of your dorm room and home away from home. If you haven’t already, contact your new roommate to decide who will bring what to share and discuss your ideas and plans for your dorm room. There’s no sense in having two mini refrigerators!

Step #2: Dorm Registry

Set up a Dorm Registry ™. It’s exclusive at Organize.com and is so easy! You can manage your list or have family help to buy those items you really like. The best part? We will ship your items right to your dorm on the day you tell us to!

Step #3: Choose Your Style.

What’s your personality and style? Are you Peace, Love and Pink, Military Man, Hippie Chick or Sweet as Sugar? At Organize.com we did the work to make it easy for any student to shop. Get yourself and your dorm prepared for the new school year with the fun and funky pattern that defines you. Add items to your registry and let your friends and family know that you have a registry via email.

Step #4: Take Check Of Your Needs!

Be sure you are covered with convenient solutions for the most common areas. These areas include bath, closet, walls and décor, laundry, storage and organization, desk and kitchen. Check them off the list and you will be sure to have an organized home away from home!

Step #5: Organize It All!

Create a convenient area at home to collect all your back to school items. Determine which items will ship and which will be travel with you. If you are shipping items, be sure to check with your school for the dates allowed for arrival. Cartons need to be clearly labeled and include your dorm information.

BIG NEAT Tip!

Pack items in storage containers that can be used in your dorm room. It saves space in all places!

Other things to do:

• Send your mailing address and cell phone number to family and friends you want to communicate with while at school. Include your email address if this is new.
• Check with your housing department on rules for electronic equipment and small appliances such as coffee pots before packing.
• If you will take a car, have it serviced before you leave by someone you already know.
• Prepare emergency contact information to share with someone you know and trust.
• Look for items that are ‘easy on the green’. There will be great value items this year.

We’ve also prepared a list of Things We Love but Don’t Have that you will need. We know these will be of help to you!

Last, but not least…enter the Dream Dorm Giveaway for a chance to get the gear that’s just your style! Organize.com is giving away $250 to $1,000 in gift certificates and great products from Design Ideas, Iris, Room It Up and exclusive Five Star® product bundles, full of your favorite Five Star Style notebooks, binders, and more!

About Deborah Shearer:

Deborah Shearer (a.k.a. Mrs. Organized!Blog) is co-owner and vice president of marketing and merchandising of Organize.com.

She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Mrs. Organized, a blog dedicated to the organizing community. Deborah spends her days focusing on “making it easy” and “doing the work” for the Organize.com customer.

While she began her career in Sales and Marketing more than 20 years ago, she works at her passion for Marketing and concentrates solely on the Organize.com brand. She also writes, oversees and approves all content for the Mrs. Organized blog .

Born and raised in upstate New York, Deborah moved to California in 1982. She began her career in Sales, representing gift, stationery and tabletop companies. From there, she went on to design and manufacture Children’s Clothing under her own label. In the early 1990’s, she pursued a career in Sales Management and spent twelve years in the Storage and Organization category, followed by six years in the Craft Industry. She worked with retailers such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Walmart, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Staples, Home Depot, Lowes, Michaels and Joann Stores.

Deborah is married to Terry Shearer, President and Founder of Organize.com. Together, they work at building and growing the Organize.com brand. They take great pride in their team members and believe they are the core of the company success.

With her experience, knowledge of the storage and organization industry, along with understanding the needs of the Organize.com customer, Deborah now heads up all Marketing and Merchandising efforts at Organize.com. Her daily activities include reinforcing the two company tag lines, “Clean. Neat. Easy.” and “Organization as a Lifestyle”, to both Customers and Employees.

In her spare time, Deborah enjoys writing, reading, crafts, cooking, shopping, her two children – Jason and Allie and traveling with husband, Terry.