Assisted Transitions

Ballgowns and Sequins and Fundraising ~ Oh My!

annie — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:38:04 +0000

Along with the other charities we love, Ruby Room has always held a special place in our hearts…being the fashion-loving ladies that we are! More importantly, we understand the importance of self-esteem building opportunities in a girl’s teen years and Ruby Room, along with their Youth Council, do much to foster confidence in the young ladies of our community. Ruby Room believes that the young women in our community need the tools, resources and skills that our Youth Council Volunteer & Learn Workshops provide, to become strong and effective women in the future.

We have been able to pass along many of our client’s no-longer-needed gowns to this worthy cause. You can do the same - just think of those bridesmaid gowns that you only wore once. Just give Ruby Room a call (206-439-7575) and they’ll be glad to take them off your hands.

4th Annual Fashion Faux Pas to Fashion Fabulous Show

Saturday, September 6, 7-11 pm
The Paramount Lobby (911 Pine Street)

General Admission: $25
VIP Front Row Seats: $50
TICKETS ARE GOING FAST!

$50 VIP tickets receive front row seats to the runway show, complimentary beverages, a VIP bag filled with exclusive offers, $25 towards any auctioned gown, special goodies, and your very own Ruby Room wine glass.
Click here to buy your tickets now!

This unique event showcases talented, local fashion designers who create one-of-a-kind gowns from dresses that were donated to the Ruby Room, but weren’t useable. The newly constructed gowns will be auctioned off during the runway show.

This year’s designers include: House of Alidoro, J. Ashley Sellen Couture, Lucky Find Clothing, MAC Designs, Sabrina Couture and Tiffany Miller.

Enjoy hors d’ouevres, cocktails, a silent auction and live entertainment by our favorite drag queen Chincilla Von Schwamp and, in Annie’s outspoken opinion, undoubtedly one of the coolest fundraising auctioneers on the Left Coast, Laura Michalek.

Tickets are going fast, so get a group of friends together and buy tickets now!
Can’t make the event but still want to donate, visit the Ruby Room website.

About the Ruby Room:
The Ruby Room is a local non-profit that provides formal gowns and
accessories to teens who are unable to purchase their own dance attire.
Your support helps us create memories that will last a lifetime for teens in financial need.
Ruby Room
PO Box 80612
Seattle, Washington 98108
(206) 439-7575

We are joining the the MOVE to end Alzheimer’s!

annie — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:00:55 +0000

Laurie, Annie and members of the Assisted Transitions Team are joining together to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® coming up on Sunday, September 14th.

By joining the Memory Walk, we are walking with a purpose – and MOVING ever closer to a world without Alzheimer’s.

This event starts at Seattle’s Sand Point Magnuson Park. The Memory Walk is a non-competitive fundraising celebration aimed to raise awareness and funds in our local community. To join the Walk, go to Memory Walk . If you wish to pledge funds to the Assisted Transitions Team, send us an email at info@assistedtransitions.net.
The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against this fatal disease. Since 1989, the Memory Walk has raised more than $230 million for this cause.

The Alzheimer’s Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research, is dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.

Let’s all help make the vision of “a world without Alzheimer’s” a reality!

Repurpose • Reuse • Resell • Recycle —> Reclaim Your Home!

annie — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:21 +0000

Labor Day Yard Sale ~ Have Some Fun!

Part 3 of 3

At Your Sale

Know your price on every item ~ either color code with a clearly posted price chart, label areas, or label each item
Know your rock-bottom price on high-value items, and tell others helping you at your sale
Have bags, paper and boxes to help people tote away the huge loads of things they bought from you
Have music playing ~ this keeps the energy up during the lulls, and invites people in
Have ample change on hand - in a secure place
Have a measuring tape, extension cord, batteries available to check items
Make it easy for people ~ use folding tables, retaining walls, stairs and railings so people can easily see what you are selling.
Invite a neighbor child to set up a lemonade stand
Pre-plan a friend to bring you some mid-day relief, and a bite of lunch
Plan a vehicle large enough to load up what does not sell and take it off to donate. Once it is out of your home, don’t allow it to creep back in! Take a quick snapshot of the items you donated and put this with your tax records.

And a few final thoughts ~

Having your sale items thoughtfully displayed can make the difference between a mediocre sale and a GREAT sale.

Make sure there aren’t any roadblocks – a smooth traffic flow to and around your sale tables and displays will ensure buyers see everything you’re selling.

Avoid cluttering your tables – it ends up looking junky to your buyers.

Arrange your items in groupings or categories – all kitchen items together, all clothing hung or laid out in one place, all kids toys together.

Take that extra minute to provide a nice display – tie a ribbon around the six wooden spoons you’re selling; fan out cloth napkins; set shoes in pairs rather than a pile; enjoy being creative with your displays ~ your buyers will enjoy it, too!

We hope you have a great sale and ENJOY the extra space in your home!

Repurpose • Reuse • Resell • Recycle —> Reclaim Your Home!

annie — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:00:40 +0000

Getting Buyers to Your Sale

Part 2 of 3

Signage - Colored paper plates make the easiest signs!

— mark a bunch of same-colored plates with bold arrows
— attach one plate to each of your larger signs; put at main intersections
— use rest of plates to simply direct turns, no more info needed
— people will easily spot your guiding signs even from a distance
— mark your yard in balloons in the same color

Sale Sign No-No’s
• too much info
• too small writing
• too faint writing
• inconsistent look

Advertise - www.craigslist.com, www.garagesalehunter.com, www.yardsalesearch.com, local paper

Every city is a bit different. Personally, I never do anything but day-of-sale signs and get great results. Look around this coming weekend and see what works in your area.

Plan for weather - do you have a carport, a covered porch or a shade tent…just in case it’s rainy or swelteringly hot?

Clarify - Do you have beautiful garden art or furniture? Mark with “Not For Sale” signs if you don’t want to be asked a dozen times if it’s for sale.

Come back tomorrow for part 3 of 3 . . .

Repurpose • Reuse • Resell • Recycle —> Reclaim Your Home!

annie — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:23:05 +0000

Labor Day Yard Sale ~ Have Some Fun!

Part 1 of 3

With the line up of cars the past few Sundays at our local Goodwill drop-off location, purging is clearly a major part of summer weekends for many people. With the Labor Day weekend fast approaching, perhaps you and a neighbor want to consider sharing the front lawn to make some money on your no longer needed or wanted possessions.

Remember –> Be realistic ~ yard sales won’t fund your retirement, but they can be a fun and social way to make a bit of money, meet your neighbors, and clear some clutter!

Before Your Sale ~ PURGE!!!

Clear a corner of the room nearest to where the Yard Sale will be held

– “everything here just $1″
– high value - to be priced individually
– “Buck a Bag” clothing and/or kitchen items

Build stacks and begin categorizing. This can be by types of items, values, sizes….just save a step and decide some groupings as you cull. We suggest:

– how do you FEEL when you look at each item?
– haven’t used it since last summer?
– no longer “notice” that lovely decorative piece?
– is it dusty or damaged?
If you feel the tiniest bit of “uugh,” let it go!

Go room by room and consider what is excess, burden or clutter and move these items to the sale stacks. Ask yourself:
Take the time to wipe down items, gather parts in baggies and do any minor repairs that will help something sell. Kids plastic toys clean up fast and easy in the dishwasher!

Tune in tomorrow for part 2 of 3 . . .

Help End Childhood Hunger while Enjoying a Fabulous Evening!

annie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:44:24 +0000

Here is a last-minute plug for a great event both Laurie and I have supported for years — both as a committee member for 6 years and as attendees.

Taste of the Nation’s 20th year celebration tomorrow night is a fabulous annual fundraiser with the mission of Ending Childhood Hunger.

The Taste of the Nation events promote awareness of Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger and raise funds to help ensure that all children have access to the nutritious food they need to learn, grow and thrive. The funds raised through Taste of the Nation support effective community-based programs that feed hungry children and partner with advocates pursuing long-term solutions to the challenge of hunger, both locally and nationally.

The area charities that will benefit from this year’s event are FareStart, Food Lifeline, Solid Ground, The Pike Place Market Foundation and Children’s Alliance. Since 1987, Taste of the Nation events have raised more than $61 million nationwide, including more than $2.5 million from efforts in Seattle alone.
12.6 million children face hunger in the U.S. every day.
In Washington State last year, 1.2 million people went to food banks for help, 40% of them children. Their families are categorized as “working poor,” the result of low wage jobs and our state’s high housing, food and other costs of living. A family of four, deemed food-insecure, has $12 per day for groceries total or roughly $1 per person for each meal.

“An end to childhood hunger in our country is within reach” said Bill Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Share Our Strength. “With all the participants in Taste of the Nation Seattle sharing their strengths we are creating more resources for the greater good of Seattle and our great nation.”

Share Our Strength believes the way to end childhood hunger is to surround every child with nutritious food in the places they live, learn, play and pray. To do so, we work with local organizations to help families help themselves through three important areas: increasing access to the public and private programs that can provide food to those who need it, strengthening the community infrastructure for getting healthy food to children and improving nutrition education.

Tickets start at $75 and can be purchased by calling 1-877-26TASTE or visiting www.strength.org.

Guest Blog ~ Clutter is not money. Clutter is clutter.

annie — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:48:49 +0000

We so thoroughly enjoyed this week’s email from The Spacialist (aka Erica Ecker) that we want to feature it here for our readers. Erica’s pearls of wisdom are always delivered with succinct sass ~ we are proud to have her as one of our partner businesses!

Enjoy!

Clutter is not money. Clutter is clutter.
Say you’re going through your closets and every time you go to eliminate something you stop because you’ve just computed that this scarf, this radio, this toaster-oven cost you money and hey, now you deduce you’re throwing out money. Sound familiar? Equating clutter for money limits your ability to get rid of old clutter that is no longer serving you.

Clutter has the potential to be money only when:
· You still have the receipt.
· The “return by date” has not expired.
· You sell it on-line.

I say “potential” because this involves actually doing something about it, not just thinking about doing it and not procrastinating another seven months.

You have already spent the money and no matter how long you hang on to this item, no matter how deep you tuck it into the closet, it’s not going to miraculously turn itself back into money.

The only miracle that’s happening here is you doing yourself a favor and moving it out. Donate it someone else could start using it today!

http://www.thespacialist.com/

NPR Story Features Assisted Transitions Founder, Annie Jacobsen

annie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:24:41 +0000

This morning NPR’s Wendy Kaufman ran a story on Biznik, a worldwide networking group for independent business owners based here in Seattle. Biznik has been a strong part of Assisted Transitions’ growth in the Northwest since we first joined as members early in 2006 - from business how-to classes, connecting with skilled and ethical service providers (carpet cleaners, electricians, stagers, realtors, etc.), to technical support with the behind-the-scenes needs of our business.

Today we had the pleasure of being part on the NPR story. When Wendy was researching her story, Annie was interviewed as an early Biznik member.
Listen now ~ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89457921

How To Know When Mom & Dad Should Downsize

annie — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:36:18 +0000

“We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.” ~Harrison Ford

If you’re a “Boomer,” you have faced a lot of change in the world – more wars than you’d care to count, the Beatles, Twinkies, the peace sign, and watching your parents tap their toes to Lawrence Welk.

Speaking of Mom and Dad, you’ve likely begun to see some signs that all might not be well at that home they’ve lived in for so many years. They really should move, but can be hard reality to face.

Here are some things that might be going on:

Mom can’t get up those stairs like she used to and you worry about her falling.
Dad seems overwhelmed about keeping up the yard…and it shows.
They live in fewer and fewer rooms – usually just the kitchen, the bedroom and those two chairs in the living room in front of the TV.
The “Honey-Do” list they used to keep up with each weekend has now fallen on your shoulders and it’s getting longer and longer.
Holidays and the decorations are too much now…so they come to your house.
Mom isn’t physically able to clean the house anymore.
Dad hasn’t repaired or fixed anything in his “shop” for years.

So where to begin? You’ve probably already tried the obvious: “Mom and Dad, I think it’s time you consider moving. I worry about you falling. You’re not as young as you used to be.” They probably didn’t like it, did they? It’s probably how you might have felt when you’re kids put you down for not being able to do something because you “were old.”

The key here is to work on the Positive.

Emphasize what they can do at a smaller/downsized condo/apartment: container gardening and social dinners without having to drive!
Remind them how much more time they’ll enjoy without homeowner chores.
Talk about friends they can visit who may be living in a unit or building close by.
Emphasize how they’ll have more time to see you and your kids.
Offer the idea that they could give themselves a break – a vacation of sorts. They’ve earned it.
Plant the idea that it would be wonderful to see another family being able to enjoy the beloved house; kids playing in the backyard and rooms filled with love and laughter once again.
Pass on their years of love and maintenance to a couple that would love the house as much as the family has all these years.

With your love and support and the focus on the positive, what originally began as an unsettling prospect can in fact be a joyous occasion.

Make This Holiday Season All About Experiences

annie — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:41:42 +0000

I think it’s safe to say that we all have too much “stuff.” And, we give a lot of it this time of year because we believe it’s what our friends and family desire. I’m as guilty as the next person – I love to spend time thinking about the person and picking out that perfect gift that I’m sure will bring a smile to their face.

But, this year I’m taking a different tact that I hope you’ll consider as well. Giving experiences instead stuff. Here are some experiences to consider that will certainly warm the heart and put a smile on the face of those on the receiving end – who knows, it may open up a whole new world they hadn’t previously explored.

Gift time.
Who doesn’t need more time? This could be in the form of babysitting for overtaxed parents; it could be time to help a friend who’s just moved into a new home and needs help painting or repairing; it could be a visit to a senior center or nursing home spending time with those who don’t have family nearby; or it could be time to help plant a garden. Making “Gift of Time” coupons that can be redeemed is a nice touch. The important thing is to follow through with your time.

Unburden Your Parents.
All around this great big world, our parents have acted as storage units for their children. How many of us still have boxes in the attic or basement of our family home; those things we just couldn’t part with? Relieving your parents of this burden would be a fabulous gift. While you’re at it, find out what else they would like to clear out and then give them a hand – donate items to a charity or make a dump run. Everyone will feel lighter at the end of the day.

Gifting Heirlooms.
Parents are delighted to think their most treasured possessions will go to loved ones – great grandmother’s wedding ring; the autographed baseball that your father gave you; the hutch that your grandparents brought over from the old country, even your baby pictures. Why wait until your will is read; gift those items now – bring joy to the recipient and eliminate the possible hassle of who was promised what.

Waste Free Holidays.
If you just can’t wrap your brain around what to give Aunt Edna for the holidays, there’s a great resource that’s jammed packed with ideas. It’s called Waste Free Holidays – www.wastefreeholidays.com. Mention them to any program partners and receive great discounts on gift certificates, tickets or memberships for music, sports, museums, plays, restaurants, massages, and more. Here’s a sampling of participating partners: Woodland Park Zoo, Grand Central Bakery, 8 Limbs Yoga Centers, Seattle Children’s Theatre, DiscoverU, and Baby Loves Disco. Check out their website for a complete listing.

Enjoy the holidays and all those fabulous experiences.