Don't Do Your Taxes ... Yet

According to a February 12, 2009 MarketWatch article by Eva Rosenberg, your investment 1099-Bs may still be in the mail. With all the upheaval in the investment industry, the government has given investment firms a Feburay 17 deadline to mail out correct 1099-B forms.

Even if you've received 1099-Bs already, the article recommends waiting to make sure you don't receive a corrected 1099-B. It's no fun to have to amend your taxes!

I hadn't heard this information and figured if I had not heard it, maybe you hadn't either!

A Follow Up to: Ink for 1/3 the Cost? No Way!

Do you remember my blog about buying ink for my Epson printer at 4Inkjets.com for 1/3 the cost? Just thought I'd give you an update.

Yesterday was the first time I had to change ink cartridges since I wrote the blog. And they worked! My daughter had bought some and started using them in her office while we were in Montana.

The cartridges are a little do-it-yourself - you have to insert the ink case into a frame-like thing, which when put together makes the cartridge. It was so easy, though, that even I could figure it out although the instructrions were written in yellow and almost impossible for me to read.

Because we were gone for almost two weeks without using the printer, though, I had to clean the nozzles of my printer because ink had dried up. Thankfully, that happened before I put in new cartridges. Otherwise I would have thought that it was the new ink.

So I still ended up wasting paper (one of my pet peaves!) because I had printed a bunch of stuff before realizing the blank stripes on my printed papers. Ugh. But it's better than my experience with HPs.

So, my initial reaction is that I'm pleased that I'm buying ink for 1/3 the price, and that it seems to work. I'll let you know if anything changes.

Have you tried ink from 4Inkjets.com or similar places? What is your experience?


Blogs on similar topics:
Ink for 1/3 the Cost? No Way!

Helping Your Child Organize Large Homework Projects

The science project ... a paper ... a multi-part project. They can seem overwhelming to your child (or you!), even if the steps are clearly laid out by the teacher. The solution? Break it down into bite-sized pieces and create a timeline.

Once you have determined what the bite-sized pieces are, estimate the time it will take to do each one. Be generous - overestimate the time if you or your child is unsure.

Now, create a timeline. Working backwards, start with the due date and assign the last bite-sized piece of the project closest to the due date. Make sure you leave enough time for last minute things to go wrong. For example, if the last part of the project is to type the paper, assign it to two days before the project is due, even if it can be done in one day. This turns emergencies into non-emergencies: running out of paper or ink, etc.

Continue to work backwards, spacing the work out comfortably and allowing for unexpected events or setbacks. Your older child should be able to do these steps alone or with little supervision as he/she has more practice. Consider rewarding your child at various parts of the project and for finishing ahead of schedule.

Your child should take frequent breaks if working for a long time. Intersperse some fun activities during the breaks - games, a few minutes of a movie, some physical activity to energize the creative juices. Forty-five minutes should be the longest an older child goes without a break, less for a younger child.

We have a new girl in our program and she changed schools when she came. In one class, she is having to read almost 100 pages to catch up to the class. Over the weekend, she and my husband have been taking turns reading the book aloud and discussing the meaning as they go.

Periodically, they take a break and we do something fun. It has turned a large project in her eyes, to a time of interaction, some personal attention, and it's helping her see the value of taking the time to fully understand the material.

By the way, I try to have report folders, poster board and such on hand at all times to prevent late night trips when my procrastinator says at 7 pm, "Oh, I have a project due tomorrow!" Ugh. Not that my high schooler ever did that, but when she did, I could supply her with her needs, go to bed and let her own her procrastination. Can't quite do that with our foster children, but at least I have the supplies!

What are your tips for helping your child manage large homework projects? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


Similar blogs:
Getting Organized for School - Organizing Homework
Organizing for School - Papers

In a Winter Rut? Here's How to Climb Out!

I got to meet our new girl yesterday, showed her around the house, learned what she eats and does not eat (vegetables!!), and we're looking forward to having this house of girls join us this afternoon after school. In the meantime, have to attend a seminar on Communicable Disease and amend my menu!

On to our topic of the day:


In a Winter Rut? Here's How to Climb Out!

Are you bored with your life at the moment? Tired of the limitations of winter? You can do something about it, you know.

I learned recently that by doing something new or different, you are creating new neurological pathways in your brain. The result? Your brain stays more flexible, as it is like exercising your brain. Consequently, you have less chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer's. And doing something new lifts your spirits.

Something as simple as going to work a different way. Or one of my favorites is driving down a road just because I've never driven down it before and I want to discover what is there!

My parents are doing a great job of creating new neurological pathways. They read about little towns that seem interesting, and they visit them and explore. My sister has introduced them to organic foods, so they've found a couple of organic stores in their town and are trying out new tastes.

And they are eating foods at non-traditional times. For example, they told me they had navy beans for breakfast one day and a huge salad for breakfast another day! We even get in ruts about what we eat and when, don't we? Since breakfast is my least favorite meal of the day but the most important, I'm all for being creative!

We missed National Backwards Day on January 31st, but why let that stop you? I'm in the mood to serve dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner, and start with dessert first!

Sometimes when it seems there are few interesting entertainment options, we take the girls on a flip-a-coin adventure. One of the girls flips a coin. If it's heads we go right, if it's tails we go left. After three blocks we do it again (one block keeps you too close to home). We've ended up in horse country east of here, in the national park west of here, and all sorts of places in between. If we get thirsty, we stop for a drink.

If we find something interesting, we stop to explore. For example, on one of our trips we drove by the nearby Stan Hywet mansion, built by the Seiberlings, founder of Goodyear. The girls hadn't been, so we stopped and took a tour.

So, if you're in a rut, it doesn't take much to climb out - just do something new!

What do you like to do when you're bored and need a new adventure?


Blogs on similar topics:
Think Positively
To Do List or Not To Do List - That is the Question!
Why Time Off Is Well Spent

Finding More Bathroom Storage without Expanding Your Bathroom

Good Morning! Today we're going to be readying our home for our second house of foster girls. One girl is new to our program, so her regular houseparents will bring her over this afternoon after school so she can meet us and see where she'll be staying for six days. It's a little scary to go someplace new, especially when you've been in our program such a short time.

So we'll be making beds, folding towels, and putting little Valentine's buckets with treats in their rooms to welcome them. I've made my menu/grocery list for the week and my activity list from which they can choose some fun stuff to do.

During the rest of the day, I'll be working on a new project that I can't wait to tell you about!

In the meantime, let's talk about bathroom storage...


Finding More Bathroom Storage without Expanding Your Bathroom

Tired of a cluttery bathroom? Maybe it's time to take a fresh look at the ole bathroom and see what can be done to increase storage space.

In our previous home, we actually had 3 1/2 baths - lots of bathroom space but very little storage. In each of the two master baths, there were expansive mirrors across one wall of the bathroom, behind the sink and toilet. We removed those mirrors, and placed a smaller decorative mirror above the sink. That gave us room to put up a cabinet above the toilet to hold linens and other items.

Don't forget those small, available spaces! Even a tiny 1'x1' cabinet on a scrap of wall space can be valuable storage space. In our third bath, which was smaller than the other two, there was a small space between the door and the bathtub. So we found a one-foot wide, six-foot tall cabinet at IKEA to tuck into that spot. It held an amazing amount of stuff!

Easily wasted space is the cabinet under the sink. It is tall to allow for the sink plumbing, but usually inefficiently used. By placing a rubber-coated shelf (like you use in the kitchen to expand shelf space), you can multiply your usable space.

I also place little plastic baskets (from the dollar store) in my drawers to keep all those little items from rolling all over the place. And those plastic rolling carts with several drawers are great for small spaces. Widths vary - I've seen them from seven inches wide to two feet wide. They are available at Target and similar stores.

A basket on the floor by the corner of the bathtub or on the back of the toilet can hold extra linens or toiletries. And, of course, there are always shower caddies that hang from the shower and back-of-the-door storage. Cute on-the-counter storage (boxes or baskets or acrylic) keep those things you use daily neat if you don't have enough space to store them.

We use a four-towel rod from IKEA in our current bathroom, and an over-the-door multiple towel rack in the bathroom for the girls to save wall space.


So those are some of my ideas. What have you done to expand your bathroom storage?

Taxes - What Documents To Keep and How Long?

I've got the second load of sheets and towels in, as this house of girls goes home today and another house comes on Friday. It has been a busy week - a birthday with all the trimmings, appointments/work, a hair cut, homework, a few tears, good talks, a play, a movie, baking cookies - life with teenagers!

But taxes are a-comin' aren't they?


Taxes - What Documents To Keep and How Long?

Jerrie Dean at eHow offers the following list to clarify what you should keep and how long:

"1. Pay stubs, utility bills, credit card, check statements, mortgage receipts, canceled checks and receipts for minor cash purchases do not need to be saved unless they are needed to verify tax and warranty claims (see #2). Otherwise you can shred them after one year.

2. Tax returns, W2's and 1099 forms, receipts, canceled checks, statements, self-employment expense records, and brokerage statements that you keep with your tax returns can be shredded after three years, but it is safer to keep them for seven years as if you under report your income by more than 25%, the IRS will go back that far.

3. ATM and debit card receipts and credit card receipts can be shredded after you get your monthly statement (and reconcile them with the statement - my comment).

"4. Quarterly and monthly financial statements and Social Security statements can be shredded after you get your annual statements (and reconcile them with the statement - my comment).

5. Keep your insurance policy, passport, will and power of attorney's until you get a new one.

6. Keep warranties and service contracts and receipts for those items until the guarantee expires or you no longer have the item.

7. Keep your deeds, stocks and bonds until you sell.

8. Home improvdement records, your 401k, IRA or pension records should be kept for three years after you sell or close the account.

9. Your birth, adoption, school diplomas and transcripts, Social Security card, military records, marriage certificates should be kept for ever and in a fireproof safe, too."

Even though taxes aren't fun, this list gives us the confidence to get rid of excess paper yet be prepared for the ultimate Fear Factor: an audit!

How Efficient is Multitasking?

We have heard for years that we should multitask, multiply our time by doing more than one thing at a time. I encourage multitasking, but with care. Here are some interesting stats on multitasking from Key Organization Systems:

"People who multitask are less efficient than those who focus on one project at a time, says a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology....Managing two mental tasks at once reduces the brainpower available for either task, according to a study published in the journal NeuroImage."

"A recent study from the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London suggests that your IQ falls 10 points when you're fielding constant emails, text messages, and calls, the same loss you'd experience if you missed an entire night's sleep and more than double the 4-point loss you'd have after smoking marijuana. On average men fared worse than women because, researchers say, men have more difficulty multitasking."

My conclusion: if you multitask, combine a mindless task with one that requires some brain cells. For example, fold clothes or empty the dishwasher while talking on the phone; put away stray items on your desk while on the phone.

How do you multitask successfully?


Blogs on similar topics:
Redeeming Your Travel Time
Capturing Usable Moments
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work

If you need more help using your time efficiently, let us help with our Time Management books, ebooks, and workbooks.

Visual or ADD Organizers - Keeping Your Desk Organized

Good Monday Morning! Hope you had a great weekend. We had a fun one with our girls. Among the several things we did over the weekend, we watched a movie on TNT called Gifted Hands which is about Dr. Ben Carson.

It's an inspiring story about a boy rising out of anger, low self-esteem, and ridicule to become one of the most famous and respected neurosurgeons today. I've heard him speak and his life is truly motivating! It looks like TNT is showing it several times, so if you have a chance, the movie is well worth your time. Now, to today's topic ...


Visual or ADD Organizers - Keeping Your Desk Organized

Rather than filing or piling, it is better for the visual or ADDer to keep things visible. In a recent article in NAPO News (National Association of Professional Organizers), Susan Lasky suggests storing like items in magazine holders on a shelf above the desk.

Lasky recommends that the magazine holders be color-coded and labeled to reflect the contents. Consequently, action files or works in progress will not be forgotten, but will be kept neatly in one place. New additions to the topic can be dropped into the magazine holder.

What are your systems for keeping your important stuff visible yet neat?


Similar posts:
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ADHD Organization - Decision-Making
Helping Your ADHD Child Get Organized

Getting Organized for Taxes - Are Scanned Receipts OK?

We've spent the last couple of days getting ready for our first house of girls this month who arrive this afternoon after school. In the meantime we'll take a CPR class today, required every year. Now on to our blog:

You may have heard of or own Neat Receipts, a device that scans your receipts onto your computer. I've heard many laud this device because it reduces the paper clutter. However, I recently read an IRS report that states that the IRS requires original receipts if they audit you. Just thought you'd like to know.

The report also suggested that you photocopy receipts printed on the kind of paper that fades over time. Staple the copy and original together, and keep with your records.

I guess this is one area in which decluttering is not in our best interest!

50 Ways to Plan Something Special for Valentine's Day without Spending a Lot

If you are into Valentine's Day, here are 50 ways to celebrate. Sheryl Kurland at Everlasting Matrimony wrote "50 Cheap Valentine’s Day Gifts For Your Sweetheart (Without Looking Cheap)", and I thought I'd pass it along.

"If you’re like most couples, you’re watching your pennies this year and looking for ways to romance your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank. The following list will help:

1. Create an indoor picnic with available props, i.e., picnic tablecloth, paper goods. Share finger foods and favorite treats along with a glass of wine. Spice up “dessert.” Enjoy your picnic on the living room floor or in bed. Play card games, board games, or make up your own.

2. Decorate a unique-looking jar or box with craft items. Write numerous love notes on small pieces of paper and fill the jar with them. Present the jar to your sweetheart.

3. There are many local and national Valentine’s Day giveaway contests with great prizes. Enter as many as you can and maybe you’ll get lucky.

4. For young couples with kids, get them involved in an all-family fun Valentine’s Day dinner at home. Mom can prepare a dessert for two and light the candles while dad puts the kids to bed.

5. Since Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday, celebrate with a day full of low-cost activities you both enjoy doing (depending upon your location and weather). Do something with your significant other that he/she rarely has time to do, but loves.

6. Take a 2-hour, one-time salsa or tango dancing lesson together. Or, identify some other interest you share and find a place to give you one-time extended lesson on Valentine’s Day.

7. Gals…Make the entire day full of his favorites: the breakfast of his dreams, the dinner of his dreams, TV that is his favorite, his music, etc. Don’t say anything about it, surprise him all day long.

8. Take the person you love to experience something spectacular in nature: a sunset, a sunrise, the calm of the beach, share an evening walk gazing at the moon.

9. Create a framed group of photos that put your relationship in chronological order of events, by months or years (depending on how long you’ve been together).

10. Create a CD with songs that make you think of your sweetheart, and give it to him/her.

11. Choose specialty foods, such as wine, cheese, fresh bread/dessert from a favorite bakery. Enjoy in front of your warm, toasty fireplace.

12. Create an at-home spa day for your mate. Deliver the gift in a basket filled with inexpensive candles, bubble bath, rose petals, facial mask and scrub. Then give your mate time to enjoy it. When he/she is done, heat up towels in the dryer for drying off.

13. Give each other long-lingering back rubs or head-to-toe body massages. Invest in luxurious lotion or oils.

14. Create a favorite drink together. Try all kinds of ingredients. Enjoy taste-testing. Be sure to record the ingredients, so you can make the “your” drink again on Valentine’s Day year after year.

15. Watch an old movie at home together, with popcorn and soft drinks and candy – movie-theater style.

16. Share a scrumptious dessert and latté at a local patisserie or bakery.

17. Pick a few household chores your Valentine usually does and surprise them by doing it before they get a chance, i.e., making the bed. It doesn’t sound romantic, but the thought will most certainly count.

18. Walk around a favorite part of town, stopping at a nice locale for a glass of wine and appetizers.

19. On Valentine’s Day, place three pair of sexy undies on your bed and let your mate pick out which one you should wear. It’s your secret!

20. Write a “Top 10 Reasons Why I Love You” list.

21. Since Valentine’s Day is on Saturday, if you’re a member of a wholesale club (like Sam’s or Costco) have fun eating all the free samples! Then fill in any empty holes left in your stomach by going out to lunch. (That way you won’t spend a lot of money at a restaurant!)

22. What’s a new activity you’ve both wanted to try that’s low cost? Do it. Or, how can you creatively modify it to make it low cost? Do it.

23. Leave a note on your mate’s pillow expressing how special you think he/she is. Place a couple of mints on the pillow, too (or a single rose)…all to be discovered at bedtime.

24. Guys…If you want to cook dinner, remember, she doesn’t care what you make. There are many easy recipes on food web sites that look like you spent hours in the kitchen. Be imaginative and set the table special. Play romantic music softly while you dine. Leave the clean-up until morning!

25. Guys or Gals…When you make that special dinner…Just like when you go to a fancy event and a “dinner menu” is put on each plate describing each food item, do something similar. For example, on your menu, write “Spaghetti & Meatballs, made with passion to be with YOU.” Don’t forget to give your “event” or “restaurant” a name at the top of the menu.

26. Make a simple dinner at home, then go out dancing or to listen to live music at a jazz club.

27. Buy two champagne flutes for use on Valentine’s Day only to annually toast your love. Keep them in a visible location as a year-round reminder of how special you are to each other.

28. Play a sport together that you haven’t played in awhile, or that you rarely get a chance to enjoy. Before you start, determine what the “winner” gets (making it something to do with caring, loving, etc.).

29. Leave a “racy” picture on your mate’s cell phone. Text a romantic message at a time of day when you know things get hectic.

30. Present your Valentine IOU coupons: I will make dinner; I will do the laundry; I will take care of the kids one day a month for the next year; I will clean the kitchen for a week; I will serve you breakfast in bed.

31. Together, go “shopping” at a sex-toy store without spending any money. It’ll give you ideas and get you “in the mood.”

32. The tough economy has lured many upscale restaurants to have high-end early-bird specials. Find out what’s available in your area.

33. Some volunteer fire departments use holiday fauna to create flower and rose bouquets as a fund-raiser. Prices are reasonable; just get there early.

34. If she loves chocolate…Take her on a chocolates tour. Find your hometown chocolate purveyor and ask for a behind-the-scenes tour. Next, go to a restaurant that serves her favorite chocolate dessert. Return home to snuggle with a cup of hot chocolate.

35. Use a bar of soap to draft a love note on your bathroom mirror. Or, if you shower first, write a love note to your sweetheart in the steam on the mirror.

36. Write “I love you because….” notes and insert them into balloons. Blow up the balloons, and spread the balloons throughout your bedroom for your Valentine to pop and capture each message.

37. Many drug stores with photo departments offer a variety of Valentine’s Day specials to make gifts from photographs. Use a good picture of the two of you together.

38. Make homemade chocolate-covered strawberries: 1) Melt a package of chocolate chips in a double boiler and add a small amount of oil; 2) Remove from heat and quickly dip the strawberries into the chocolate; 3) Place on wax paper and refrigerate for several hours until chocolate is firm.

39. Guys…If you want to order flowers for your gal, supermarket florists are generally half the price of the stand-alone or on-line stores, but the trick to for seeing real savings is to order two weeks or more in advance and pay for the flowers up front………..Another trick to save money, get other guys who want to order flowers to join you and place your orders to the same florist all at once. The florist may give you a “bulk” discount. Again, important to plan ahead.

40. Plan a scavenger hunt. Write clues and place them in envelopes, and place the envelopes around town. Make the final clue a doozey of a destination.

41. Get a small radio and take your partner dancing at a romantic hideaway, such as the woods or riverfront or ocean.

42. Use fabric paint to decorate a Valentine’s Day pillowcase for your loved one. Check arts-and-crafts web sites for other easy-to-make gifts.

43. What did you do on your very first date? Repeat it.

44. Create a year-long calendar with photos of just the two of you above (top page) each month. Office supply stores will insert the spiral/binding for you.

45. Have a progressive dinner. If you’re single, appetizers at his place. Entrée at her place. The middle course, dessert, after-dinner cordials…map it out a few days ahead. If you’re married, one course at home, one course at her office, his office, etc. Use your imagination to set locations!

46. Write new “updated” wedding vows, both serious and humorous, and share them with each other over a glass of wine in a candlelit room.

47. In the morning, tuck a love note in his pocket or her pocketbook or other certain-to-be-found spot. Jot down some meaningful words on a piece of paper – “Can’t wait to wrap my arms around you tonight!”; “What’s for ‘dessert’?”; “You make me happy every day!” – and tuck it in a conspicuous location to be easily discovered during the day.

48. Have a 15-minute kissing session and try some new ways and places to kiss. The same old smoocheroo can get boring. Use your imagination…and perhaps a little whipped cream, chocolate syrup, etc.

49. If you don’t have a special sweetheart, focus on bringing a smile or laughter to everyone you come in contact with on Valentine’s Day.

50. What are your mate’s quirks and habits that irk you? Don’t nag about any of them the entire day. Then try to extend the no-nagging effort to every day of the year. Remember, you’re never going to change the other person."

Follow Sheryl on Twitter. Or Sign-up for FREE, weekly, email “Time-Tested Relationship Tips” from couples married 50+ years!

Recycling VHS Tapes

It is so nice to be home! Even though I miss my kids, have mounds of laundry, etc., it was wonderful to sleep in our own bed. I slept for 8 hours, which I never do! On to our organizing blog for today:

Recycling VHS Tapes

Do you have outdated or antiquated VHS tapes you'd like to get rid of but don't know what to do with them? Jeri Dansky suggests some great ideas:

"1. Offer them on Freecycle. You never know what people will want. I've found new homes for some of my clients' video tapes through my local Freecycle.

2. Check with your local Goodwill or Salvation Army - or any local thrift store.

3. See if a local nursing home or hospital wants them.

4. See if a local homeless shelter or domestic violence shelter wants them.

5. See if your local library (or friends of the library organization) wants them.

6. Ship them off to ACT - Alternative Community Training.

7. Ship them to GreenDisk or Tropical Media for recycling.

8. Search for Video Tapes on Earth911."

Have you found successful ways to recycle your VHS tapes?


Similar blog posts: More Eco-Friendly Recycling, Getting Rid of Stuff While Saving the Environment, Interview by Get Green Baby

Home Again, Home Again ...

We arrived home today after twelve wonderful days on a mountain top in Montana with our daughters and son-in-law.

We had such a fabulous family time:
- having a Settlers of Catan marathon
- star-gazing in -12 degree weather
- cooking together and enjoying our son-in-law's gourmet feasts
- having wonderful discussions
- celebrating Christmas
- eating at delightful restaurants
- worshipping together
- photographing beautiful scenery, including breath-taking sunrises and sunsets
- putting together a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle
- watching sports
- celebrating birthdays
- playing Mexican train
- spotting wildlife - moose, bald eagle, deer
- catching up on hugs
- seeing the movie Mall Cop
- helping our daughters do some work
- watching the Super Bowl
- creating websites, blogs and other random stuff

I'll get back to organizing blogs tomorrow. Talk to you then!

Get Organized Month 2009 - Some Words from Peter Walsh, Organizing Guru

Peter Walsh, professional organizer guru, was interviewed in the latest issue of The NAPO News published by the National Association of Professional Organizers. The following are some inspirational exerpts:

"Stuff has power, and the stuff we own has power—power for good or power for ill. It’s up to us to decide how we use the stuff we own. We either advance the kind of life, community, and world we want, or we become so self-absorbed with our stuff that we become like greedy children hoarding cookies."

"One of the problems I constantly see is we are swimming against the tide by living in a society that says more is better. That mindset is exactly why we are in the economic crisis we are in today."

"If we focus on the stuff, we do ourselves … such a disservice. It’s not about the stuff. It’s about the life we live and the lives we create."

"I believe homes are metaphors for our lives. I believe it’s impossible to make your best choices, your most enlightened, spiritually rich, emotionally stable choices in a cluttered and disorganized home. It just can’t happen. Time and time again, I have seen that when you open the space you create the opportunity for amazing things to flow into that space."

"Organization is not something you do, it’s the way you live your life. It is not about
simply cleaning up, it is about making mindful decisions about your life."


I'm motivated, what about you? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


If you're inspired, motivated, and eager to make mindful decisions about your life, The 1-2-3...Get Organized series provides a vehicle for getting there!

Get Organized Month 2009 - Organizing Office Supplies

While organizing an office yesterday, several non-descript boxes housed various sizes and types of envelopes. Taping one of the envelopes to the outside of the box makes the contents easy to find at a glance without opening each box. This system works well with other paper products as well.

We also placed the most-used items in the middle shelves and less-needed items on the lower and higher shelves. Try this technique in closets, your kitchen and garage, too!

Another blog related to this subject: Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind

Fot more help organizing your office, try Three Steps to Organizing Your Office.

Get Organized Month 2009 - #1 Biggest Organizing Mistake

People are in love with organizing containers. Many of my clients rival The Container Store in the number of containers they own!

Owning organizing containers is not a bad thing. The #1 organizing mistake, however, is buying organizing containers without a clear picture in mind of how you can use them. For example, I was organizing an office yesterday and our initial conversation indicated that we might need to purchase or make something to hold finished projects. As we worked through the office, though, we found a solution with existing furniture.

I always organize first, buy organizing containers last, if needed. Many times, my clients already have storage - we may just need to think outside the box in order to find it.

So, as tempting as it is, refrain from purchasing organizing containers until you know what you need. Yesterday we purchased upright Christmas wrap containers to hold rolls of work-in-progress - but that was AFTER we determined what we needed. We knew exactly what we wanted, and we felt very fortunate to snag the last two at an after-Christmas clearance sale.


What unusual storage solutions have you used? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


More blogs on similar topics:
National Association of Professional Organizer's Best Residential Product for 2008
Storage for Your Garage
Products we Recommend - KangaRoom Stackable File Box


As you declutter, consult Three Steps to Decluttering if you are overwhelmed.