Your Life. Organized.

Downloadable Press Kit

Monica's Electronic Press Kit is now available for download.

Head shots are available here.

 Download PressKit.pdf (351K)

How Ya Doin'??

 If you know me personally, you know I'm a relationship person. I can't help it... it's just what I do. So for a long time, I've been sending my past clients and prospects little notes (via email mostly) or leaving short voicemail messages just to say "How ya doin'?" and check in with them. My intention isn't to sell them on using my service again -- although of course I'd welcome that -- my intention is to give excellent service and to follow up to let them know I care about their progress and how their life is going. Because I'm in business not only to make a profit, but to make a difference.

I used to wonder why I spent so much time and energy doing this endless follow-up, because believe me, it takes time! But I'm glad I stuck with it, because today I noticed on Seth Godin's blog, that he advocates doing the very same thing. So, thanks for that validation Seth... now I'm off to reach out and touch a few more people before day's end.

Technorati Tags: Seth Godin, marketing, relationships
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Organized Scrapbooking!

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the weekend I spent with seven girlfriends, when I was introduced to the art of scrapbooking! I admit that for years I resisted it, but on this girls weekend away, I figured heck, I'm fairly creative, why not give it a try? Plus, six of the seven other girls on the trip were planning to scrap for a majority of the time, so I thought rather than sit by myself on the deck for hours at a time, I'd join in the fun. Little did I know...

I'm All About The Products

On a recent trip to The Container Store (who am I kidding, I'm on a first-name basis with most of the staff there...) I saw this new product line I wanted to tell you about. You know me. I get excited about new, different, or innovative products. These are pretty basic, but definitely attractive and super functional, which is key for me to be excited about it. The weird thing is that the line doesn't seem to have a name, like so many of The Container Store products do. There are three in the family, and I'll tell you about my favorite of the three first. It's the fabric, wall-mounted...

Organize Your Decor With Style

 My husband -- known lovingly around these parts as "Christmas Boy" -- broke out the holiday decorations this past weekend. Some years ago, he fell in love with the concept of the Department 56 Dickens Village and since then, he's constructed a village each year. Sometimes the village is large and elaborate, with upwards of 18 buildings, a skating pond, starry sky backdrop and more than fifty tiny little people. This year, as in some other years, the village is small and simple, with only five buildings.

As much as I've enjoyed and appreciated his villages over the years, Christmas Boy knows that the set-up and take-down is all his deal. I have my own Christmas decorations that I like to display, and since I've been blissfully Christmas tree-free since 1985, my holiday decorating is incredibly quick and simple. Which brings me to the point of this entry...

New Life at the Holidays

 Seasons change, styles change, your tastes change. So why does holiday decor get left out? It seems that seasonal decorations are one of those things that you add to nearly every year, but you almost never pare down. Is it taboo to jettison that giant plastic Lawn Santa when you haven't even put him out since the late 90s? Why hold onto those strings of huge, multi-colored outdoor lights (the ones that give you 3rd degree burns) when you switched to a white mini-light scheme years ago? And what's with all those "extra" ornaments? If you don't like them enough to hang 'em on the tree, why keep them year after year? Freshen up, people!

I'm taking my own advice, and in keeping with the old adage, "One man's trash is another man's treasure", my friends and I decided that next weekend we'd get together and do a decor swap. And of course, we'll eat... 'Tis the season and all that. You could do a swap too. Here are the rules...

2006 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas

 This week begins the official holiday shopping season, and to celebrate, I'm doing a series of morning radio show interviews around the country talking about giving clutter-free holiday gifts. Most interviews have only been about ten minutes and since the listener interest has been so high, and we're never able to cover every item on the list, I'm posting the complete list here on my blog. If you have some great clutter-free gift ideas to add, I'd love to hear them, so please leave a comment! Here's the complete list...

8 Principles for Keeping Your Home Organized

If you struggle with keeping your home organized, tune in to this week's radio show, where I interview Detroit-based organizing expert and owner of Red Letter Day Professional Organizing, Ms. Debbie Stanley. Not only is Debbie a lot of fun and a good friend of mine, but she's also the author of the book, Organize Your Home In No Time. During the hour we spent together, Debbie and I discussed her eight crucial principles for keeping your home organized, beginning with...

Look Out Black Plastic!

I wrote about Staples debuting their new MailMate countertop shredder on last week's episode of "The Office".  When I was in the Staples store this week picking up a few essentials, I couldn't help but notice that they've branched out and is carrying some really good looking office accessories! Used to be your options were black plastic, smoke, and clear acrylic, but no more! Staples has come into its own and is now stocking attractive office and desk accessories that compete with The Container Store's beautiful product lines. Check out the IN2 Tidy Tower, the Mahogany Monitor Stand, and the Punched Black Metal & Cherry Stacking Trays.

There was even a set of cool blue suede desk accessories that Elvis would love.

Technorati Tags: Staples, organization, The Container Store, desk accessories
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Organization Nation is Now A Podcast!

 Thanks to the technology stylings of one John Cutliffe, some Radio Sandy Springs shows,  including my show, Organization Nation, are now available on demand as podcasts and RSS feeds! To subscribe (or just to nab them one at a time) click here.

Thanks John for your hard work to help promote and distribute the great content produced by all the hosts at Radio Sandy Springs!

Technorati Tags: Monica Ricci, Organization Nation, John Cutliffe, podcast, Radio Sandy Springs
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Plan A Successful Holiday Event

The holidays are here! If you love to entertain but haven't come up with any creative new ideas or touches for a while, tune in to my most recent radio show! I interviewed the lovely and talented Erica Prewett of A Big To Do Event Planning about how to plan a fun and successful holiday event. We discussed everything from the best night to hold your event to how to ensure your guests will want to attend, to how to handle your guests who get a little too tipsy. Check out my radio show page and listen free for one more week!

Technorati Tags: event planning, holiday events, Erica Prewett, A Big To Do Event, parties, entertaining

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Cooking Ahead Saves Time Later

Last month when my husband and I and our regular group of friends were having our annual pumpkin-carving night, we got to chatting about how the cool fall weather always puts us in the mood to cook. It occurred to me that since we love spending time with these friends, and we all enjoy cooking, it would be fun to have an autumn "cook ahead dinner party". So we did.

Friday night we grocery shopped for the ingredients to make at least three different recipes. Saturday morning my husband and I and the rest of the gang got together in the house with the roomiest kitchen, and spent the entire...

Staples MailMate Debuted on "The Office"

 Recently I wrote that the Staples MailMate Shredder was going to be featured on the hit tv show, "The Office" but I wasn't sure when. To my delight, it was last night! In an absolutely hilarious episode, the Stamford office of Dunder Mifflin closed and all the employees were moved to the Scranton, PA office. We witnessed the merging of the two offices and the resulting chaos. Bossman Michael, in his typical loser-ish, insecure way... 

Small Business Review Online Tackles Time Management at Work

Freelance writer John Egan wrote a piece for Small Business Review online, discussing how small business owners can make the most of their time, given the many responsibilities they have and challenges they face. The articles offers time management advice from experts including me, Peter Turla, Dave Durand, Christine Randle and Peggy Duncan. Thanks John for a terrific and informative article!

Technorati Tags: Monica Ricci, time management, Peter Turla, Dave Durand, Peggy Duncan, Christina Randle, productivity, task lists
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Today's Radio Interview with Mike Sformo

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Mike Sformo today on his radio show on WGUN in Atlanta. He does a show where he interviews entrepreneurs, and today I was his guest. We did a 30-minute show talking about the organizing industry, as well as some tips on how to get organized and we talked a bit about why people bother getting organized. Mike's got a fantastic personality and his energy level is unbelievable. We had a great time chatting, I hope we'll work together again, and you can hear the interview here.

 

Technorati Tags: entrepreneurism, Mike Sformo, Monica Ricci, radio
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Simplicity News Thanksgiving 2006

I bet you're here looking for December's newsletter article aren't you? Oops! Sorry about that! I coded my link wrong and it brought you here. Try this one instead! (and Happy Holidays!) ~Monica

Dan Banta of Grand Haven, Michigan wants ideas for keeping family life organized and simple. Oh, Dan, don't we all? 

Most of keeping family life organized involves the choices you make and the boundaries you establish as a spouse and parent. Staying organized at home is a multi-faceted challenge; it requires control of the physical space and contents, control of time, and clear behavior expectations and boundaries. And yes, the truth is that it's not always easy. But it is always worth it.

When organizing your space, your first step is to...

A Twist On An Old Standard

I had the best lemonade in the world yesterday at lunch! After my  radio show, my friend Magic Debbie and I went to lunch at a new place in Sandy Springs that's called Fresh To Order (f2O). This is one of the plethora of  fast casual restaurants that have opened up in the past few years. They have very yummy sandwiches, soups, amazing salads, and lemonade made with vanilla, mint, and star anise. You can NOT imagine how delicious this stuff was! Next time I make lemonade, I'm using their recipe!

Technorati Tags: lemonade, Fresh To Order, Sandy Springs
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Make Your Next Move Smooooooth

 Join me for my radio show Organization Nation, on Radio Sandy Springs on Tuesday, November 7th as I complete the fourth show in a 4-week series on real estate. The first week I talked to Phyllis Durham about getting organized to sell your home. The second week, I interviewed Professional Home Stager Sandy Dixon about staging your home to sell quickly. Last week I had ReMax Professional Realtor Marie Dinsmore in studio to chat with me about how to make the home-buying process organized. This week, I'm interviewing organizing and relocation expert, Sally Allen about how to make your relocation smooth, simple and as stress-free as possible, whether you're moving across town or across the country. Tune in tomorrow at noon Eastern Time or catch it after the fact on my show page. Either way, if you're moving any time soon (or even not-so-soon!) you won't want to miss this show!

Technorati Tags: radio show, Organization Nation, organizing, moving, relocation, Sally Allen
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Countertop Shredder Featured on "The Office"

I don't watch a ton of television, but I'll admit to having a standing date with a few shows each week and one of my favorites is The Office. Steve Carell continues to push the envelope of loser bosshood to new levels in an always hilarious way. Anyway, I'm talking about The Office because when I was in Staples the other day copying handouts for a workshop I was doing, I noticed the coolest little machine and I have to tell you about it! It's called...