Happy November! Below you’ll find our monthly update from October, and our Holiday Gift Guide of favorite organizing gifts to give this holiday season:)
I hope you’re having a nice Fall so far. Here in Virginia, the leaves are falling and the air is definitely starting to feel crisp! In fact, a few days ago it was freezing cold. When I took Mojo outside at 6AM (I’m on morning doggie duty and Ed takes the nightshift), there was frost on the grass!! Winter is definitely coming fast.
On top of that, with the whole daylight saving change that happened last weekend, it feels like midnight at 5:30PM! I must say though, I’ve been waking up a lot earlier this week since it’s lighter in the morning. I always feel more productive the earlier I wake up. The later I sleep in, the more I feel like I’m wasting the day!
On another note, with the cold and darker days, it’s been harder and harder to make my way to the gym! I’ve been “catching” myself making excuses for why I don’t need to go…
“It’s too dark outside. You’re bad at driving in the dark. You better stay home and not risk it”
OR
“It’s too cold outside. I’ll just stay home and just make sure to eat healthy instead of working out.”
OR my favorite excuse of all…
“I can’t go to the gym – my iPod’s dead! I’ll go tomorrow once it’s charged.”
Have you been catching yourself saying excuses for doing things due to the cold and change in time, too?
However, I am proud to say that I’ve been pushing though most of the excuses, taking control, and showing up to the gym. Because if you want results, you must take action.
I must say though, like always, once you show up, it’s never as bad as you thought it would be inside your head 
So that’s that.
Anyway, here at Alejandra.tv, it’s been a productive Fall. We welcomed a new team member last month after shuffling through 40 applicants and carefully selecting our new organized rockstar! Her name is Stephanie and she’s been such a joy to work with. She has already been a tremendous help after just a few weeks! She’s been helping Ed and I tackle tons of projects, helping out with email, and lots of other organizing stuff in the office.
Next week (on Tuesday) we’ll be interviewing for a brand new videographer. My fingers are crossed it all works out and we find our new Alejandra.tv video superstar who will help us create more fun videos for YOU! I must say, it’s been extremely challenging finding a videographer but we’re working hard to do the best we can!!
One of our goals is to be able to commit to one video per week on YouTube. Hopefully soon we’ll be able to make this “promise” and consistently deliver on that schedule! I will keep you posted.
All of these changes are helping us setup for a great New Year! I’m starting to look ahead at 2014 and am getting realllllly excited about tons of ideas and projects I want to tackle! There’s something about the New Year that’s just so exciting. The future and what it may bring is always fun to think about!
But before we get into the New Year, we have the Holidays!
I know, it still feels early. After all, Halloween was just last week. Anyway, I’m all about planning in advance so when the Holidays do get here you’ll feel prepared and on top of things. Because when you’re prepared, you can actually enjoy the Holidays instead of stressing out last-minute.
Having said that, I’ve spent the past few weeks picking out my favorite organizing stocking stuffers and small gifts for the Holidays next month!
I know it’s realllly early to be sending out my favorite organizing gifts for this holiday season. However, it’s better to be early than late.
Plus, if you find yourself doing any “last-minute” shopping next month and need creative ideas for him, for her, for co-workers, or for gadget lovers, you’ll have this email to fall back on 
Most of the below gifts are all small, useful, “why didn’t I think of that!”, cool gadget-y, items perfect for stocking stuffers, gift toppers, or small gifts to others as a way to say “Happy Holidays” and “Happy Organized New Year!”
Having said that, below are my favorite organizing gifts for this holiday season!
Happy November!
P.S. – We also recently released our 2022 Holiday Gift Giving Checklist to help you track your gifts – you can find it here.
1. Mini-Sized Magic Sliders
These mini-sized adhesive magic sliders are AWESOME for sticking underneath rather heavy things that are frequently moved. For example, I use these under my coffee maker to make it slide from under the cabinets on the counter easier. I don’t have a big mixer, but, if I did, I would totally stick these sliders on the bottom to make it slide easily!!
2. Credit Card Holder For Your Phone
There’s nothing like Saturday morning walking to the Farmers Market with nothing in hand… except maybe cash and your phone in case of an emergency. Something about not carrying a purse every once in awhile makes me feels so free! Well, this little gadget is a suction-cup pocket/sleeve that sticks to the back of your phone for holding credit cards or cash. No purse needed!
3. A Tool To Keep You On Track
If you know me, you know I love timers to stay on track. I’ve been talking about this timer for years! It’s my absolute favorite because 1) it keeps you on track, 2) it’s visual for us creatives, and 3) it’s small enough to keep on your desk or bring with you when you need to stay focused. It’s also great for keeping meetings on schedule!
4. Prevent Cords From Falling Behind Furniture
I have these things all over my house in every nook and cranny! They are adhesive and you can stick them anywhere to prevent a cord from falling down when unplugged. They come in multiple colors and they are ridiculously easy to use!
5. Instantly Make Long Cords Short
You know those realllllly long cords that hang from the back of your computer, TV, and/or any other electronic in your house? Well, this cord wrap allows you to “magically” shorten the cord as if it didn’t really exist! It’s hard to explain but it’s AWESOME! I use this for my iPod charger on my desk.
6. Instant Adhesive Strap
Okay, so one of my friends always jokes and says her mother-in-law is the clumsiest person and always drops things, lol. This little gadget made me think of her. It’s a strap for your phone so you never drop it…ever, assuming you use the flexible strap each time you talk on the phone 🙂 The strap sticks to your phone via a 3M adhesive strip!
7. Padded USB Protector
If you’re prone to having USB drives float around your desk drawers, the bottom of your purse/backpack, laptop bag, etc., then this little padded protector will not only protect it from damage, but it’ll also make it easier to find (it’s larger than the USB itself and comes in a hard to miss bright purple color)!
8. Remove Embarrassing Dust On Your Screen
Have you ever opened your laptop or restarted your computer in front of another person and were embarrassed by the dust on the “black screen?” It’s hard to see dust on the monitor when the computer is already on, however, when its off, the dust is so visible! Anyway, this little fuzzy duster does the trick when you swipe it across your keyboard and monitor. I have the yellow one and it sits inside my desk drawer.
9. Jumbo Bright Colored Cubicle Wall Clips
Back in my 9-5 days I used white cubicle clips to hang important papers at my desk. These are colored AND jumbo size version of the clips I used to use. They’re so much more fun than boring white!! They make a good gift for any organized co-worker in the office!
10. Mini-Sized Travel Outlet
Have you ever seen a mini-sized power outlet? Every time you need to charge your phone at the airport, all the plugs are taken. Not anymore! This is supposed to be for the frequent traveler, but, I say it’s not only perfect for “on the go,” but also small offices, bathrooms, or any nook where a “normal-sized” power strip wouldn’t fit.
11. Prevent Identity Theft
If you’re the type of person who’s concerned with identity theft, you’ll enjoy these light-weight envelopes. They’re RFID blocking sleeves, meaning, you can store your credit cards and passport inside to prevent anyone from being able to remotely scan any of your information or data. A frequent traveler would enjoy this gift!
12. For Those Who Can Never Find Their Keys
If putting your keys into your purse is like dropping a needle in a haystack, this gadget might help YOU! It’s a tiny bright red hook that hangs inside your purse to hold your keys in the same spot each and every day!
13. Everything You Might Need In One Mini Bag
If you’re the type of person who always needs something while you’re out, but never has it in your purse, this little life saver is for you! It’s a mini emergency kit that’s small enough to fit in your purse but big enough to cover you in case you need it. Plus, it’s already assembled which means less work for you! I, on the other hand, genuinely enjoy assembling kits, so I’d much rather assemble this myself! However, for those that just want it “done,” this is for you!
14. Extremely Visual Wallet
To date, this is one of my favorite personal organizers that I’ve been using for years. It’s a business card holder turned wallet/gift card organizer! It’s totally made for visual people who need to SEE what they have to know it really does exist!
15. For the Moleskine Fanatics
If you’re a Moleskine fanatic, you will LOVE this! It’s a mini Moleskine accordion organizer made for small pieces of paper like receipts or business cards. OR… if you really want to think outside-the-box, use this as a small wallet to store cash, credit cards, and/or gift cards!! Any Moleskine fan would adore this!
16. When You Can’t Find Your Phone In Your Purse
If you always have a hard time finding your phone in your purse, this gadget is for YOU! It’s a phone cord you clip to your purse and then attach to your phone. When your phone rings, just look for the hot pink colored 80s style phone cord and voila, there’s your phone! It also comes in black, but if you ask me, pink is more fun! 🙂
17. Fun, Funny, & Colorful Pick-Me-Ups
I bought this little book of fun sticky notes back when Macy’s was still called Hecht’s, LOL! That’s how long I’ve had this! It’s a sticky note book of fun, bright colored, motivational sticky notes. I have a few stickies posted around my office as inspiration, plus some of the messages are funny! Back in my college days, I used to leave these little sticky notes on my roommates’ desks to surprise them with a laugh or smile-. Works great in kids lunches, for your hubby, or as a gift for your friends.
18. A Useful Lump of (Char)Coal
These lumps of (char)coal aren’t just for those who are on your naughty list! Instead, these fun stocking stuffers are actually useful for deodorizing small smelly spaces or where there is bacteria, mold, or mildew! These fragrence-free lumps of coal come in various sizes, last up to two years, and work perfectly in shoes, closets, small spaces, cars, etc!
19. Water-proof Pouches For Your Electronics
I recently discovered these a few months ago and SO wish I found them before summer! They’re water-proof pouches for all of your electronics! That means, you could be sitting by the pool reading your tablet and a bucket of water could get dumped on your device and NOTHING would get wet!! It comes in three sizes for phones, readers, and tablets – a total must-have for techies!
20. A Key That’s 6-in-1 Tools
This is cool for the Mr. Fix-It in the family. It’s a “key” that fits on his key ring that’s actually 6 commonly used tools in one. The coolest thing is that it looks like a key. This is perfect as a stocking stuffer or a small gift topper on another present.
21. Touch Lighted Magnifier For Dark Restaurants
Last month we went out to dinner to an Italian restaurant with my future in-laws and while we were studying the menu, I caught Ed’s parents “fighting” over the magnifying glass (the words on the menu were small and the restaurant was dark!). Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I discovered this “Touch Lighted Magnifier” – perfect for dark restaurants and small text. Ed’s dad is definitely getting this next month for the holidays!
22. Laptop Bag / Briefcase Organizer
I discovered this product at a trade show almost 3 years ago when the only color available was black. Now, it comes in orange, blue, and gray. It’s an organizer made from reallllly elastic bungee cords and it’s great for any laptop bag or briefcase. Technically you could even use it in a purse. The cool thing about it is how visual it is. If you use it in your computer bag, you could just pull it out and instantly see everything you have in one shot. It comes in different sizes too!
23. Memory Card Organizer
If you or anyone you know is famous for having memory cards floating around their desk, drawers, or computer bag, you’ll appreciate this memory card organizer. It’s like a mini binder for memory cards AND it’s totally affordable.
Do you have any good gift ideas? If so, share them below in the comments.
