Your Most Organized Year Ever

/0 Comments/in , /by

your most organized year ever

 

Each year as we start the new year, we think of ways to make a change and improve our lives.  Did you know that organizing is one of the top three goals each year?  Throughout the month of January, I will be offering 31 tips to help you have Your Most Organized Year Ever.  Implement just one of these tips, tools, techniques or tweaks this year. 

 

Tired of running between spots to get finished with a project?

 

Not finding tape and scissors to get things done?

 

Starting a project but need to check several places to get the tools to get it done?

 

Keep items you use together stored together.  Think of “zones” that you can create to make it easy to get tasks accomplished.  It could be the lunch making or baking zones in your kitchen.  It could be the baby doll and pretend area in your child’s room.  It could be make up, accessories and scarves in your closet.  It could be the bill paying area with checks, envelopes and stamps.  Be creative and use your instincts to make it easier to get things done.  Make this Your Most Organized Year Ever by grouping items together that you use together.

 

Love organizing quotes and inspiration? Check out more here on Pinterest.

 

A daily dose of organizing and productivity!  “Like” my Facebook page.

Your Most Organized Year Ever

/0 Comments/in /by

most organized year ever

 

Each year as we start the new year, we think of ways to make a change and improve our lives.  Did you know that organizing is one of the top three goals each year?  Throughout the month of January, I will be offering 31 tips to help you have Your Most Organized Year Ever.  Implement just one of these tips, tools, techniques or tweaks this year. 

 

Is there a tsunami of stuff flowing into your home?

 

Overwhelmed by the generosity of family and grandparents?

 

Is it easier to purchase a item rather than find it in your home?

 

When more is coming in than going out, there is an unnatural balance.  Think about creating equilibrium with a drastic change to get you back to harmony.

 

Make it a rule that for every one item that comes in, two items leave.  It may sound drastic, but by following this rule you will create more space in your home and lessen frustration in finding stuff. It will be easier to create a spot for everything to have a home.  Make it Your Most Organized Year Ever by following the “One in, Two out”rule.

 

 

 

Love organizing and productivity ideas? Join my newsletter.

Your Most Organized Year Ever

/0 Comments/in /by

a place for everything and everything in its place

 

 

Each year as we start the new year, we think of ways to make a change and improve our lives.  Did you know that organizing is one of the top three goals each year?  Throughout the month of January, I will be offering 31 tips to help you have Your Most Organized Year Ever.  Implement just one of these tips, tools, techniques or tweaks this year.

 

Tired of clutter?

 

Did you know that clutter is just too many items not put away?

 

Did you know that clutter is items that have no home?

 

Have a designated spot that is a “home” for each and every item in your home.  The “home” for an item is where you use it the most, where you use it to do a specific job, or where it is easiest to access.  If you find you have too many items to fit in the designated spot, it’s time to pare down.

 

The easiest way to make this happen is having a daily five minute distribution time. Set this time at a time that works for you and your family every day.  Make this Your Most Organized Year Ever with a place for everything and everything in its place.

 

Love organizing quotes and inspiration? Check out more here on Pinterest.

 

A daily dose of organizing and productivity!  “Like” my Facebook page.

How to Organize Christmas Cards

/4 Comments/in /by

how to organize your Christmas cards

 

 

It’s a special time of year and special memories are made from Christmas cards.  Keeping and treasuring your cards is simple with this step by step method of binding your Christmas cards together.  Here’s how to organize Christmas cards with this simple 6 step craft.

 

organize holiday cards

 

Step 1 – Sort cards by year.  Also decide if there any cards that you do not want to save and recycle them.  Eliminate without guilt those that are not special to you.
Step 2 – Sort each year by size, from largest on the bottom of the stack to the smallest at the top of the stack.
Step 3 – Use a good, strong hole puncher to punch a hole in the top left of each card. Your hand will hurt if the hole puncher is not very good!

 

organize Christmas cards
Step 4 – Use a binder ring to keep all cards together.
Step 5 – Create a little card that denotes the year to place at the front.

Step 6 – Tie holiday ribbon around the ring.

 

organize Christmas cards
Step 7 – Place cards in a pretty basket under your tree, near the fireplace, or another spot that is easy accessible!

 

Step 3 Display Christmas cards

Another fun Christmas card tip – If you have a smart phone, go through your current year’s cards and take a quick picture of the photo cards. Now you can save these as your friends’ and family’s contact photos.  These will pop up each time you speak by phone!

 

What are some ways you have organized and preserved your Christmas cards?

 

Love the holidays? More holiday fun on my pinterest board Happy Holidays.

 

Want to have the most organized year yet? Join my newsletter for a monthly dose of organizing inspiration.

Favorite Blog Posts 2014

/0 Comments/in , , /by

It’s almost a wrap! The year 2015 starts this week. Thank you for your commitment to organizing and learning new tools, tips and techniques on Ellen’s Blog this year.  Here are your favorite blog posts for 2014!

 

 

organizing your add family

Organizing your ADHD family

 

3 steps to organize your desk

3 Steps to Organize your Desk

 

14 productivity tips

14 Productivity Tips for 2014

Organizing Christmas Decorations

/1 Comment/in /by

undecorating and organizing your Christmas decorations

 

Perhaps you don’t take down your Christmas tree until Twelfth Night. Or perhaps you are tired of all the red and green.   Perhaps you have boxes and bins of lights and linens, multiple Christmas trees, and way too many ornaments to store securely. The end of the holiday season may make you feel overwhelmed with holiday stuff.   Organizing Christmas decorations makes decorating that much more fun next year.

Rethink your holiday for next year by trimming down the excess this year. If you left some decorations in the box, it’s time to take that box off to donate. Top sources of Christmas clutter are that we have changed colors, our garland and greenery has become well used, and we simply don’t want to put so much out to pick up later. Start by deciding what is most important for you and then let go of the extra.

  • As you are un-decorating, start grouping items together in categories. The categories can be the room the decorations are displayed in or the type of decoration it is. You can group items that go in the kitchen, living room or bedrooms. Other categories are table top decorations, linens, greenery or tree decorations. When you see your decorations in categories, they take on new meaning and new function.  Place these items as groups into boxes or bins.

 

  • Many families are switching over to LED lights and want to recycle their old lights at Home Depot. Make it easy to keep your lights organized by wrapping them around newspaper or a paper towel holder.

 

  • Be sure to label your boxes and bins on the top and two sides to know what is in each. Especially helpful are ornament bins to keep your ornaments from breaking.  Make it easier to store your decorations with inexpensive sturdy plastic shelving in your attic or garage.  Remember, no cardboard boxes as these attract silverfish and dust mites.

 

  • Keepsake holiday decorations hold special meaning. Perhaps it’s an ornament you received as a child or from your parents home. If you keep it, be sure to take care of it. Ornament bins are a specialty item you can purchase before the holidays, but often are hard to find after. Share your keepsakes with your grown kids too. Passing these on is the true reason for keeping them.

 

  • We always have those few random items that don’t get back into the boxes. Be sure to take one last trip to the attic or garage to match these up and put them away.

 

Un-decorating is the most important organizing step for your holidays. Take the team approach and have family pitch in to take down all the holiday decorations.  It’s a time to reminisce about what was most special, what foods were scrumptious and the best holiday gifts this year.

Organizing Christmas Cards

/1 Comment/in /by

 

organizing Christmas cards

Christmas cards arriving daily are a special part of the holiday season. We love looking at the family pictures and sharing family memories from the past year. Even though card sending has diminished and with Facebook as our daily “family reunion,” we treasure our Christmas cards.  But the end of the holiday season comes and we are faced with the dilemma of tossing or keeping cards.  We also have the leftovers from our own cards where we over ordered.  Gather your cards together in a basket or clothespin your cards on a wire to see them throughout the season.  Check out these ways to organize your Christmas cards after the holidays.

 

Cards from others

 

There are two schools of thought for keeping or not keeping cards.  If cards become overwhelming, hold little meaning, or become a burden, it’s time to let go of them.  You have my permission!  We don’t need to keep every card that comes to us.  Sit down with a wintery beverage and enjoy an hour of time to read your cards and enjoy the memories of the year.

 

If you treasure the memories, keep the cards grouped by year.

  • Using 2 D rings, 3 hole punch the side of the card twice and thread the cards through the ring to create a binder.  Create a cover using card stock.
  • Keep your cards in a decorative Christmas box with the year labeled on the front. Store with your Christmas decorations and display the last 3 years each Christmas.
  • Punch one hole in the upper left corner of the card and string a pretty red ribbon through all the cards. Knot it and then tie a bow.

 

organize holiday cards

 

 

If you are crafty, there are many ways to reuse your Christmas cards.

There is wonderful card recycling at St. Jude’s Ranch too!

 

Christmas cards framed

 

Your Cards

 

Our own family Christmas cards are a precious reminder of each year.  Often there are way too many left over.  Keep 5 to 10 of your annual cards, depending on how you are storing them.

  • Use a decorative binder and sheet protectors to store one card per year
  • Using a photo album, add one card each year or make one album for each of your children.
  • Cut up your card and use a photo ornament to hang your picture annually on your tree.
  • Frame your holiday card each year and display these every Christmas in your family room.

 

Celebrate your family by creating special memories and organizing Christmas cards. Whether is it your own card or cards you receive, create a family treasure with these simple ideas.  Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

 

Wishing you a magical holiday as you celebrate with your family and friends!

 

Want to get a jump on getting organized in the new year?  Join my newsletter!

 

Best Practices for Holiday Productivity

/0 Comments/in , /by

best practices for holiday productivity in the office

It’s the time of year when most of your colleagues are out of the office. Because you have used all your vacation time or as just as a personal choice, you are spending a few days in the office between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s quiet and there’s a slower pace with fewer deadlines looming. You may feel it’s the least productive time of the year. It’s truly the perfect time to get a few tasks finished up, get organized and learn new technology.

 

Finish up administrative and financial tasks

Make a list of unfinished year end tasks to complete. Throughout the year, administrative tasks and financial reports can be put on the back burner. Prioritize the most important of these tasks, especially monthly administrative or expense reports. Take advantage of technology to scan receipts quickly with your Neat to complete your expense reports efficiently.

 

 

Get Organized

It’s been a busy year and your office shows it! It’s time to eliminate paper and see the top of your desk and floor again. Set a timer to get you started and go through all papers. Recycle or shred multiple copies, drafts, or printed emails. Create paper files or scan information to consolidate and create effective document management.

 

 

Learn new technology

A quiet, undistracted environment is the best place to immerse yourself in learning. Perhaps you have been put off updating equipment, adding your Neat scanner, or learning new software. Holiday time is when you can have more time in case things don’t go as smoothly as you like or installation requires a call to experts.

 

 

As the new year begins, you will feel ahead and be more organized because of your extra time spent in the office.  A little productivity at holiday time makes a difference.

 

Want to have your most productive year yet?  Join my newsletter!

 

 

DIY Personalized Christmas Gifts

/0 Comments/in /by

 

DIY Personalized Christmas gifts

The most treasured of gifts are the homemade ones.  The most expensive gift is not as treasured as the one made with love.  It’s what we all think makes our holiday special.  Holiday treasures are around us in our homes and all it takes is a scanner to create a personalized holiday gift.  These four personalized holiday gifts will make everyone in your family feel so very special!

 

Family Recipes

Imagine your family’s treasured recipes preserved together in a family cookbook.  Not only will you enjoy the goodies, you can also feel the love seeing the handwritten notes of your family member.   Choose a group of goodies that are especially meaningful.  Don’t be overly ambitious about quantity and limit your total recipes to no more than 50.  You can categorize your recipes by appetizer, main dish, side dish or dessert.  Your Family Recipe book can be kept digitally online or published as a book.

 

Keepsake Correspondence Collection and Genealogy Book

How often we receive letters and cards that we keep that have special meaning for us.  These treasured correspondences would be wonderful as a collection.  Scan in letters, cards, certificates and other memorabilia for someone you love. Give these as a book or a set of digital files.  What a wonderful way to celebrate a life well lived!

 

Tabletop Art Book

You have this year or possibly even years of artwork from your kids.  Why not create a personalized holiday gift of art for your family?  Grandparents treasure a book filled with their grands coloring, drawing and art.  Have your child and you work together.  Choose art work wisely and keep 20 items for scanning.  You can scan these or take a photo with your smart phone.  Upload this to make a hard cover coffee table book as a gift.

 

Antique Photo Collection Display

Take a trip down memory lane with a family antique photo collection. Perhaps it’s a collage to display on a wall. Maybe it’s a collection of frames in a hall way.  Or it could be a family photo book. With Ancestry.com leading the way, family genealogy is a favorite.   Choose 5 family photos to group together. These could be your dad in his navy uniform, your parents at their wedding and their 50th anniversary, or you and your siblings throughout the years in Christmas photos.  Sharing family photos keeps your family connected in a special way.

 

 

There are many creative ways to use your scanner.  Take advantage of this tool to make your holiday gift giving special.  What ways are you using your scanner this holiday season?

 

Don’t miss a minute of organizing fun! Join my newsletter!

 

Easy stress free homemade holiday treats

/0 Comments/in /by

easy stress free homemade holiday treats

 

 

Sharing homemade gifts is a part of holiday traditions.  Our family favorites include toffee bars, holly cookies, oyster crackers and pretzel bites.  These are quick to prepare and easy to wrap.  I make up several batches and share them with family, friends and clients.  I love sharing these easy stress free homemade holiday treats with you this holiday season.

 

easy holiday toffee bars

 

holly cookies easy to make and share

Oyster Cracker

 

Pretzel bites

 

Add a link in the comments with your favorite easy homemade holiday treats!

 

Holiday fun on Pinterest!