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.
When she’s not hard at work, she loves doing yoga, taking walks and spending time with her husband of 30 years and three adult children.
The family loves doing simple things that don’t require a lot of money but create lasting memories, including hiking, taking picnics, going to the beach, and playing games.
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 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 one is downsizing after years in a home. Learn how to live large in a smaller space, surrounded by the things that are most precious. Learn some creative ideas and resources for how best to let go of what’s no longer needed.
Simplify Your Holidays – Attendees 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 hoarder successfully gains a healthy perspective on their belongings.