What better way to start the new year than by getting organized! Some of you groan at the thought, I know. For those of you avoiding getting organized, consider this: the state of our external environment is a good indication of our internal environment.
For example, upon entering my home, most would say it is neat and tidy. But if one were to explore most of the closets, drawers and cupboards, they would find a plethora of papers and junk with no particular rhyme or reason. Take out menus are mixed in with outdated coupons, screwdrivers, safety pins, etc. Most people I know have a "junk drawer." Well, I have about ten of them. All this matches how I feel most of the time, i.e., looking pulled together on the outside but feeling really overwhelmed on the inside.
Now I'm sure I am not the only one out there struggling to get organized. After all, most of us know that getting better organized can save us lots of time and energy that we can then expend in more important and purposeful areas of our lives like our family. But, where to start? Well, I thought I would share a great resource that I found that has helped me conquer some of the drawer clutter.
The Family Facts Life Organizer and Planner is the best family organizer I have found to date. I had read about the organizer on a website, but had been unable to find one online. But while out perusing the shelves at the local Barnes and Nobles, I found it! Better yet, it was 50% off! I picked it up for the bargain price of $10.57!
This thing just about does it all. The binder itself is very sturdy with a magnetic closure. Inside, there are different sections including a calendar, telephone numbers, children's information, medical and house and home. It is a great way to keep important information right at your finger tips.
One big plus for me is that the binder format allows for customization. While it is fairly comprehensive, it does not cover meal planning/shopping. Regular readers know that this is always a source of frustration for me, i.e., I hate cooking and I hate grocery shopping. I found an organizational website that has a variety of menu and shopping checklists that can be downloaded for free. Organizedhome.com has lots of other forms and checklists including travel checklists, holiday and birthday party organizers, etc. They even have a form to help plan a yard sale! It's a great site, so go check it out.
Being a very visual person, I have found that the organizational process is much more tolerable when using colorful and sassy organizational tools. But where to find them? You need look no further than Seejanework.com. This site offers a cornucopia of fun and funky file folders and desk accessories.
One of my favorites is Pepperpot's Personal Organizer. I actually have two of these. I use one as a shopping and coupon organizer and the other for receipts, stamps, and all of those little slips of paper that I accumulate over the course of a week cluttering the bottom of my purse.
I also like PepperPot's Business Card Holder. I use mine to corral the multitude of punch cards, club cards and the like that fatten up my wallet. You know, those things that you can never find when you
get to the counter at the Hallmark store. These two items have significantly decreased the amount of time I spend digging through my purse at checkouts much to the delight of impatient shoppers behind me.
So, how are you starting out the new year? Does your external environment mirror your internal environment? If so, what are you going to do about it? For those of you who are already organized, do you have any tips or strategies to share? Please post any tips or resources you may have!
Stumble It!
Ten junk drawers? I feel better already-- I only have six! :)
Posted by: Karen | January 21, 2007 at 10:15 PM
Glad I could make you feel better!!!! You'll be happy to know I am down to only nine :)
Posted by: Jill Urbane, The Mentor Mom | January 22, 2007 at 10:06 PM