ABOUT US / OUR TEAM

Meet Our Team

Cathy Bates | Founder

Cathy Bates founded Practical Solutions in 2003 out of a desire to help others organize and downsize their homes, offices, and lives so they could make time for what matters most.

 As a busy professional, mom, wife, and caretaker for aging parents, she knows the daily struggles her clients face, as well as the positive impact an organized environment can have on their home, family, business, and life.

 In her free time, she loves doing yoga, taking walks, and spending time with her husband and three adult children. She and her family enjoy the simple pleasures in life that come from spending quality time together, free from the burden of stuff.

Speaking Engagements

Cathy Bates, owner of Practical Solutions, is available to speak to your professional or community group.  The presentation will be tailored to meet the group’s specific needs. If you don’t see an organizing topic that fits the needs of your group, just let us know. 

Simplify Your Home – Learn how to live more simply with less stuff and more fun. This presentation breaks down the process of getting organized into manageable steps, giving participants tools to get and stay organized.

Simplify Your Busy Family’s Life – Busy families with children in the home will learn to get their family organized, reducing stress in the home and allowing for more family fun.

Simplify Your Paper – Learn how to efficiently manage the enormous amount of paper that comes into our lives.  Discover what to keep, how long to keep it, and how to store it.

Simplify Your Time– Life is busy. Learn how to make the most of your time, and to carve out time for what is truly important.

Simplify Your Move – Moving is never easy, especially if you’re downsizing after years in a home.  Learn how to live large in a smaller space, surrounded by the things that are most precious. We’ll give you creative ideas and resources for how best to let go of what’s no longer needed.

Simplify Your Holidays – You’ll learn how to create a simple, memorable holiday season, enjoying new traditions without all of the stress.

Hoarding:  How to recognize and intervene — This is a clinical presentation helping hoarders’ loved ones and care takers understand obsessive compulsive behavior.  We also discuss how to approach the clean up effort so that the affected person successfully gains a healthy perspective on their belongings.

Inquire About Speaking Engagements

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InZpZXdfaWQiOiIyMl8zNjY2ODkiLCJ2aWV3X2h0bWxfaWQiOiJjc3BGb3JtU2hlbGxfMjJfMzY2Njg5IiwiY29ubmVjdF9oYXNoIjoiMGViZmFiZThkODA2NzE3ZmE5ODkwMjEwNGZjN2Q2ZWQifQ==