I love speaking in front of groups-- it is one of the few times I know people are listening to me (or at least pretending to!). It doesn't mean I don't get nervous, though, in anticipating the talk. One thing I find that helps is to continually reconnect to the audience-- when people feel like you are trying to apply what you say to their situation, it holds their interest. If you use notecards, keep what you write on to a minimum. You want to be sure they just trigger your memory, so that you don't get lost trying to read off of them. Most importantly, have fun. Really-- when people see you relaxed, THEY will relax as well. I also agree with the practice, practice, practice. My speeches are a million times better when I have practiced, if, for no other reason, that I know I have done all I can to prepare.

I've heard pros range from $65 to $100 per hour depending on where you live, their experience and your needs. I agree, the kids and hubby need to be somewhere else so you can concentrate and get the most bang for your buck. I've never used one because I usually find the info I need online. I found a really good organizing website that gives some good instructions on what to do and how to start. www.straighten-up-now.com The stuff under "Start Here" was particularly good. I emailed the owner under her Contact Me page. She responded with some good FREE tips. She said that she just started the site, so information on particular project areas is "ongoing." I recently signed up for her free newsletter. Hope this helpful! Here is a link that might be useful: Straighten Up Now Home Organizing Link

May I make one suggestion that has nothing to do with certification, nor the question you actually asked? PLEASE impress upon the attendees the importance of LISTENING to the consumer as well as CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING? It may not play into the certification process, but if you're going to take time out for entertainment, at least spend 5 minutes on how important it is to design a kitchen that's right for each consumer. Let me tell you my experience--we had an old (early 50's if not earlier) kitchen--complete the double drainboard/double sink and only 15" of useable counterspace, and not nearly enough storage. 20 years ago, when we decided to redo it, I went to several kitchen design places and home centers. I knew what would work efficiently for my kitchen needs, as a home ec teacher who had also helped redesign a large classroom kitchen, I was familiar with a lot of the principles involved. NOT ONE designer would listen to me. They all just tried to push their own ideas. In the end, they all lost out--we opted to use MY design, and were our own general contractors. The kitchen is amazing--2 decades later, I wouldn't change a thing in it. I've had dozens and dozens of compliments over the years about how great it is to work in. It was one of the big attractions that helped sell our house quickly when we listed this winter. I will be sad to leave 'my' kitchen behind when we move. The principles of kitchen design are important, but they mean nothing if the designer cannot customize a plan that will work for the customer. Oh, I should probably mention that my design? I have 10.5 feet of counter space--in the same kitchen that used to have only 15" and loads more storage. Your goal is to get these people certified and that involves the facts, figures, principles, rules, etc--but I'd love it if you could at least mention the importance of the human factor. Thanks--I only posted this because I was SO frustrated that NO ONE was willing to put aside the so-called kitchen planning 'principles' to help me design the right kitchen for me.

First...with this new design you will have a lot of counterspace...so I think you can easily give up 30" for a tall oven cabinet for either a double oven setup or a MW + single wall oven. Second, lower island counters...be sure you have enough room under a lower counter for the plumbing for a sink...check with a professional on this. IIRC, there are minimum lengths for some pipes...but I'm definitely not an expert! Also, be sure you have a deep enough overhang for comfortable seating. The NKBA recommendations for seating overhang are a minimum of: 18" for table-height seating (30" high) 15" for counter-height seating (36" high) 12" for bar-height seating (42" high) If your island will be lower than 36", then I recommend an overhang of 15" to 18"...the lower the counter, the larger the overhang. Pantry cabinet...if you have a good sized walk-in pantry, then I would not get a tall pantry cabinet. They aren't the most efficient storage for pantry items b/c they're so deep. Even with roll out tray shelves things can get lost. Think about a 24" x 24" raised surface with things stacked on it...easily seeing and getting to those items in the middle (or even the back) can be iffy. I think the better idea is the tall oven cabinet. If you need to store a few pantry items in the kitchen proper, use a drawer. You might even consider a drawer for storing baking supplies if you bake often enough to take up prime storage real estate for them. Refrigerator...if your refrigerator is a counter-depth or standard-depth, you will need to be sure the doors of your refrigerator extend out past the counters on the side...that is, if you want to be able to open the doors fully! So, you can recess only up to the refrigerator carcass (box). Also, plan for a 36"W x 72"H refrigerator even if you don't have one now. Refrigerators narrower than 36" and shorter than 72" or so are become less and less common. Plan for the future since refrigerators, unfortunately, no longer outlast remodels. You will most likely need a new refrigerator 10 years or so from now, even if you're buying it new now. So, make the recessed area that size as well as build the "surround" for the refrigerator with an alcove that size. If you are not going to have any upper cabinets on the wall with the refrigerator, then consider building in the refrigerator with walls instead of finished end panels. When you have upper cabinets, I think finished end panels look better, but when the refrigerator is "stand alone", I think dry-walled walls look better...they don't make the refrigerator stand out and scream "refrigerator". However, walls are approx 4.5" wide, so you will need 9" of space for those walls. Remember, too, that counters are actually 25.5" deep, not 24"...they extend approx 1.5" past the cabinets so they cover the doors and a little bit more. This is to protect your cabinets & doors from spills...the overhang directs spills past the...