Organize the Whole Shebang

Filing Tips + Tricks as seen on AM Northwest

Filing... doesn't have to be difficult..
or ugly for that matter!

Take a peek at the Tips + Tricks I shared on AM Nortwest today...
click here if unable to view below

 

 

Martha Stewart Adhesive Avery Pocket shown above w/ takeout menus the larger size [which is difficult to see, it's behind the menus] I used for phone lists.

Vertical File Folder Martha Stewart Home Office exclusively w/ Staples shown above in orange.red.yellow Check them out... they come in other colors + patterns.

Tax Time Checklist from Smead Organomics

Accordian File from Storables

*FREE PRINTABLE* File Folder Labels Download File folder labels

 

Creating a Mail Center

[My favorite product for The Mail Center]

Did you know that we receive the *same amount of mail in two days that our parents received in two weeks and our grandparents in two months or possibly even two years?  *don't know exactly where this stat came from but sounds legit to me!

First, take a deep breath, look at your mail pile and holler and I mean HOLLAH a good 

“You don’t control me. I control you!”

This project may just change your life... ok that's going a bit far, but there is a reason this is the first H... home project for those of you that have [The Smart Woman's Guide To Doing it All]. 

I believe that once you get the mail under control with a system that works for you, you can maintain the incoming paper a lot easier. 

So get to it girlfriend.  Tackle this one w/a little gusto!

approx. time for initial project: 1 hour +shopping

maintain: 5 minutes/day

You'll need to: Download THE MAIL CENTER I've laid it all out for you...

PLUS "Just Say No To Junk Mail" click here This is quick read + easy to implement post with some great resources!

*bonus* labels for your mail center Download MAIL.CENTER.LABELS

Did you like this post?!

There are so many organizing projects ready for you to tackle...

Take a peek click here

 

Organizing those Piles.... it's easy peasy [As Seen on AM Northwest]

Piles... most of us have them... it's easy to turn them into what I call an "Organized" Pile. Take a peek at today's AM Northwest segment. If you're looking for some of the items I showed in the segment... check out yesterday's post "Hi, I'm Krista and I'm a Piler".

Got a question? Leave me a comment!

Cheers! Krista

ps.... can you believe how much hair i have now?! #wootwoot #needatrimfeelsallcrazylong
This is just a couple of weeks ago on AMNW: Organize the Whole Shebang!
Aaand this is last October: Five minutes to Fabulous!

The Organizer's House.... featuring Stephanie Calahan

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Stephanie LH Calahan of Illinois and Founder/CEO of Calahan Solutions, Inc.

Ever wonder how a business performance and personal productivity consultant organizes her office... Stephanie went all out giving us a personal tour of her space! I have to confess that Stephanie sent me her info a while back... I lost it. Yes. Yes I did. Thankfully she brought it to my attention and I was able to search my email inbox and find her! #whoopsydaisy #blushblush

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Home Office

1) This is my ACTION SYSTEM. Every item of paper that requires action is in this graduated file holder. It is easily accessible and in immediate view so that I don’t lose track of important items I need to DO to move my business forward.

2) This is my EASY ACCESS SYSTEM. This cabinet is on casters and can move for easy access. Each drawer is labeled and I can get to what I need quickly. I store items that I use on a daily basis in this cart.

3) DUAL MONITORS. My main source computer is my laptop, but when I’m not traveling; my second monitor is connected to increase my ability to get things done. Microsoft researchers have found that you can increase your productivity from 9-50 percent! My active work is on one monitor while my other monitor holds the windows that I check periodically, such as social media.

4) LOTS OF WATER. One of the fastest “cures” for foggy thinking is to increase your water intake. Did you know that the average person is dehydrated? Add to that, our brains are made of mostly water. If you are dehydrated, you diminish your ability to think clearly.

5A) MODULAR FILING CABINETS. I Love my Levenger file cabinets! This particular model allows me to add drawers as I have an increased need for filing. I have them within arms’ reach so that I can get to what I need quickly.
5B) PAPER TIGER FILING. One of my favorite office organizing tools is Paper Tiger (http://www.FindInFiveSeconds.com). I use this tool both in my home and work office.

6) OFFICE PHONE WITH HEADSET. I am on the phone throughout the day talking with my coaching clients. My headset is an invaluable productivity tool! By using a headset, I’m able to be hands free to take notes. This sounds very minor, but I have many clients that have complained of back/neck pain that distracts them from their work. When they change their phone setup, their pain goes away and do does the distraction.

7) CLEAR SPACE TO THINK AND WORK. As you can see, I have two desks in my office. One holds my computer and all corresponding technology. However, when I need to really think through a project, learn new information or focus on a client problem, visual distractions would be a problem. So, I turn around and use my “executive” desk for that type of work. The clear space allows me to stay focused.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:

This is my library. It is on the opposite wall from my technology space. One thing that surprises many people that come into my office is how I have my material arranged on the shelf. It is not alphabetical by author or title. Each shelf holds a topic – marketing and PR, organizing, productivity and time management, self-development, etc. I often forget titles and authors, so organizing by either of those methods, would make it hard for me to find what I’m looking for. I’m visual, so I can go to my time management shelf and know that the orange book holds what I’m looking for.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know! I've got room for you~

Want more? Take a Peeky into more Professional Organizer's Homes by clicking here.

The Organizer's House... featuring Jeri Dansky

 

A sneak peek into the home of professional organizer, Jeri Dansky of Half Moon Bay, California and author of Jeri’s Organizing and Decluttering News.

Jeri is the queen of organizing products... and that makes her a girl after my own heart! She's also the queen of kindness. She was so incredibly supportive of me during my cancer treatment, I'll never forget her thoughtfulness

 Jeri + I go back a while... we've got history :) A couple of summer's ago Jeri wrote a guest post for me titled Tape Dispensers Don't Have to be Boring... We also shared some limelight at the L.A. NAPO Organizing Awards in 2010. But most recently we hung out in San Diego at the NAPO conference... you can check us out in this blurry photo along with our friend Deb Lee. [I think the photographer may have had a few ;) ]

Enjoy this peek into her personal home office~

 

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Home Office

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1)  Keep frequently used tools close at hand. For me, that includes my pen cup, stapler, tape dispenser and dictionary. I can reach them all without leaving my chair. They aren’t on my desktop, though, because that space is reserved for my cats.

2) Storage pieces can be fun and whimsical. That big ceramic frog, which is intended to be a planter, stores some of my computer accessories — ones I don’t use every day, but often enough that I want them stored in my office. 

3) If you spend any significant amount of time at your computer, invest in an ergonomic set-up. I use a laptop, but I also have an external display, keyboard and mouse, and a tray for that keyboard and mouse that’s lower than my desktop. A good chair makes a big difference, too.

The Organizer's House.... featuring Aby Garvey

Have you ever looked at someone's website and decided you should be friends? Or found yourself incredibly envious because they are doing everything you dream of doing... You want to be arch enemies, but meet them and realize they are the nicest thing EVER! That's Aby. Promise me that once you visit her website you won't abandon me... #makenewfriendsbutkeeptheoldoneissilverandtheothergold:)

 The 2010 Los Angeles NAPO Organizing Awards... Aby was my roomie and winner of BEST ORGANIZING BLOG, we're pictured with my chica Deborah Shearer of Organize.com. Here's a post on the Organizing Awards  and another when Aby was a guest on The O Myth! And I almost forgot... Aby did a guest post a while back on Scrapbook Organizing. #loveher #toldyouso

Ok.Ok... I'll stop gushing over Aby and let you take a peek into her home office!

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Aby Garvey of Edwardsville, Illinois, owner of simplify 101.

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Home Office

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1)  The more you love how an organized space looks the more motivated you will be to keep it organized! Infuse your organized spaces with creative, personal touches. Use containers you love. Add elements that make your space look and feel like you. You’ll be happier and more productive.

 

2) Don’t spend time searching for the perfect organizing system. Instead, give a system a try and then tweak it until it works great for you.

 

3) Remember that being organized is a combination of organizing projects and organized habits.During the project phase you sort, declutter, select storage and set up your organizing systems. To stay organized, you need to develop the habits necessary to use your new system consistently and effectively.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:  Creative and eclectic! And I have a thing metal buckets.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House... featuring Ellen Delap

Welcome to my new(ish) weekly feature... The Organizer's House, a sneak peek into the homes of professional organizers!

When people find out that you're an organizer... this is what follows "You must be SO organized, I bet your home is perfect". So here it is... because the curious want to know and we want to show you we are indeed human... not the stepford wives you picture us to be.

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Ellen Delap of Houston, Texas and owner of Professional-Organizer.com.

Ellen and I haven't met in person... yet. But we've been getting to know one another via twitter... that's another reason I love social media :)  We both love office supply stores [might just be a prerequ to becoming a professional organizer]! I think you'll find her featured space refreshing... it's a great trick of the trade. As is #4's didy about lids!

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Office and School Supplies

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1. Choose an easy access spot for your entire family to get to the supplies. 
Easier access means you can get to your goodies, rather than shop for them at the store more easily. 

2.  Categorize your items by use, with items together that are used together. 
Dry erase and easel markers go together for use at presentations.  Notes, papers and note pads, as well as sharpies and highlighters, are good to categories for our family. Create categories that work for your family.   

3.  Use plastic shoe box size bins side by side or stacked for storage.
Our office supply spot is in the office, but it is hard to use our deep shelves in the cabinets. It makes units of the items and it is easy to access and return to its slot.  Shoeboxes help you define how much to keep and how much to donate too.   Keep lids off so you can get in and out of your bins very easily.  This trick works in all deep cabinets, especially under sinks and medicine cabinets in the bathroom. 

4. Label!
This way everyone knows where to look for supplies and where to return them.

 

WHY THIS WORKS FOR ME:  From this picture, you can see we are not perfect, but we do “just enough”!

 

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!