Grace Organizing

Cereal Box Mailers

2008-08-09T12:59:00.001-07:00

Looking for a greener, less expensive way to ship books and smaller items? Here's a neat idea:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthworm/2652343171/

Death to Catalogs

2008-07-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

A client introduced me to a great, user-friendly website that helps you cut down on the amount of catalogs you receive, for free. When you think of all the trees, energy and money it takes to produce these pesky catalogs (not to mention all the fuel used to transport them!) recycling them just doesn't cut it. http://www.catalogchoice.org/

Happy Tree Saving!

Go Vertical in the Garage

2008-07-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video about organizing your garage with a verticle system. I am now a big fan of Tool Girl!

Time Management Tips for CD Clients

2008-07-12T12:17:00.002-07:00

http://www.nsgcd.org/resources/factsheets/fs005.pdf

Causes of Chronic Disorganization

2008-07-12T12:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.nsgcd.org/resources/factsheets/fs004.pdf

Are You Situationally Disorganized?

2008-07-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

Read this checklist to find out:

http://www.nsgcd.org/resources/factsheets/fs002.pdf

Are you Chronically Disorganized?

2008-07-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Read this checklist to find out:

http://www.nsgcd.org/resources/factsheets/fs001.pdf

Neat Keyboard Organizer

2008-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.keyboardorganizer.com/

Picture Organizing in Boxes

2008-07-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

If you have a lot of pictures, it may make sense to organize your photos into picture boxes, rather than bulky photo albums. Acid-free, archival quality picture boxes can be labeled on the outside as well as organized with tabbed index cards inside. No more pictures stuck to gluey pages, loose pictures sliding out of pages, or pages falling out of albums.

Michael's Crafts carries acid free photo boxes (make sure the label actually says acid-free)as does Exposures Catalog . Exposures' are about 1/2" taller, which makes it possible to include 5x7" pictures without having to separate them out.

Getting photos out of those old albums can be a real chore. Fortunately, there is a product called "Un-do" which can safely dissolve old glue, but better than the solvent is the little plastic lifting tool that comes with the bottle. Work it gently and patiently. When removing photos from difficult situations, think of it as removing the paper from the back of the photo rather than removing the photo from the paper.

When you have a situation where two photos are back to back, scan before you do anything. In fact, try to scan any valuable photos before taking apart an album apart. Sometimes, the photo just cannot be removed without damage, so you just have to keep it attached to the old paper.

While We're On the Subject of Stuff and Sustainability

2008-07-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

This website pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

The Story of Stuff

2008-07-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is a short, fascinating film which will change the way you think about your stuff.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Article: Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success

2008-01-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/education/01boys.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Storing Kids' Artwork

2007-11-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Check out: http://www.schoolfolio.com/

My Humble Opinion on Toy Gifts

2007-11-02T20:48:00.001-07:00

Nowadays kids are bombarded with toys, gadgets and other material possessions a few times a year, from well-meaning family members and friends. Meanwhile, they're left with no choice but to cram this growing pile of goods into a single room - the same room where they are also expected to sleep, play, read, change, do homework and so on.

I suggest asking for gifts of experience. Something like, "Dad, Ariel really enjoyed seeing the Nutcracker with you last year. She didn't stop talking about it for a month, she loved it so much! I think she would enjoy a gift of an experience with you much more than another toy" will usually do the trick.

After all, kids will remember the time you spent with them long after the barbies and MP3 Players are gone.

On Working with Kids

2007-11-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Think back to when you were a kid, and your parents said "Get in there and clean your room!". Chances are, by the time they got around to telling you to clean your room, they were already frustrated and your room was a disaster. You were suddenly under a lot of pressure and probably didn't even know where to start.

I love working with kids and teaching them how to keep their rooms tidy and organized. Kids don't have all the preconceived notions that adults do, so it's easier in some ways to get them to learn new ways of dealing with their belongings. I get to play fun organizing games with kids, and I get to be that third party that reinforces what you've been saying all along, but from a neutral standpoint.

The other side of that coin is that what is obvious to you and I, may not be obvious to kids because they don't have the foundation of experience that we do. So I talk a lot when I work with kids. I talk them through very basic organizing principles until I'm sure they get it. Kids also tire and get bored faster, so the sessions tend to be shorter (2+ hours, generally).

After I help my young clients sort, purge, and assign spaces for their stuff, I tell them that I'm going to show them tricks on how to make their room look tidy for mom and dad without spending a single second more than they have to. This leaves them with a sense of control, and makes way for the fun chore game of beating their own record.

Storing Tupperware

2007-11-02T19:38:00.001-07:00

To store tupperware, I recommend pulling all of it out of the cabinet, matching the lids with containers, and tossing any mismatches. Next, nest the round pieces with round, and square with square. Last but not least, install one of these handy pull-out lid organizers in the cabinet, keeping round lids with round and square with square:

http://www.taylorgifts.com/prodetail~itemno~8808~src~NEXTAG46&srccode=cii_9324560&cpncode=07-34642385-2&.asp

Organizing Your Linen Closet

2007-11-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

To keep linen closets organized, fold one matching sheet set at a time and fit the whole set into one of the pillow cases. This saves you from having to dig through several stacks of linens, to find a matching set. Your linen closet will stay neat and tidy, and it will be easier for kids to make thier own beds, too.

Designate one shelf or section for each kind of linen and educate everyone in the house about the way you've organized it.

Any sheets, towels and blankets you haven't used in over a year can be turned into cleaning rags, or donated to your local animal shelter.

Building a Filing System, Part 2

2007-11-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Now that you're ready to make your files, pick up one of your stacks, say Insurance. Label the tab on a hanging folder (like this one)

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=810929&Nr=200000&N=201618&An=browse

with the word "Insurance". Next, using a sharpie (for increased visibility), label the tab of a manila file folder (like this one)

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=698710&Ntt=manilla%20file%20folder&uniqueSearchFlag=true&An=text

for each, specific kind of insurance represented in the stack, such as car insurance, liability, etc.

Do this with each stack of paper until all stacks are neatly organized in their respective file folders, which are now in their corresponding hanging folders.

Next, you'll need to hang your files in alphabetical order, or in the order that makes most sense for your thinking style.

Building a Filing System, Part 1

2007-08-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

The easiest way that I've found to build a filing system is with this simple method:

Clear some floor space, preferably a whole rooms worth. Set the stack(s) of paper in the middle of the floor. Find a comfy cushion. Examine each piece of paper and ask yourself the following questions:

How likely am I to use this information?
When will I use it?
Can I access this information elsewhere?
What is the worst that could happen if I recycled and/or shredded this?

If after this battery of questions you can still justify keeping the piece of paper, decide which general category of your life that it fits into: Fitness, Insurance, Pets, Personal Correspondence, etc. Make a pile for each category, placing marked post-its in front of each pile so you don't forget which is which.

Take a break every half hour. Stretch, get a glass of water, go to the washroom... then jump right back in again. I suggest finishing this part of the project on the same day, or you will end up using much more time and energy having to reacquaint yourself with your piles!

Once you've finally gotten through the original stack, it's time to make your file folders...