tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44302264120816791002024-03-13T01:44:25.575-05:00Neat Freak WannabeThe Chronicles of Simplifying My LifeJennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-31993798213172399702011-08-28T20:55:00.000-05:002011-08-28T20:55:54.498-05:00Master Plan - July Project: The Kitchen<a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/08/confessions-of-recovering-perfectionist.html">As promised in my last post</a>, here are the results of my kitchen organization project from July!<br />
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My kitchen isn’t tiny, but it's small enough that it can easily get overwhelmed if there is too much “stuff” hanging around in the cabinets and drawers. These were the main area of focus for organization. Some were worse than others, so in this post I’ll focus on the areas that I think were the biggest improvements.<br />
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<u>Utensil Drawer</u><br />
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This drawer was total mass chaos. There were no dividers, so everything was tossed in there and free to roll around at will, so that when I needed to find a specific tool, it was inevitably hidden under a layer of other utensils. There was also the hazard that you might cut yourself on a handheld grater or pizza cutter while digging around to find said object. Not good!<br />
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Before:<br />
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After:<br />
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My solution was pretty simple. First, a few duplicate tools were taken out to pare down how much needed to be in there. Then, I found some simple drawer organizers, one with three compartments, and another wider but separate container. Between these four sections, and the few inches of extra space on the side, every utensil pretty much stays put. Much easier. I’d like to eventually get some type of crock to put by the stove which can hold our most-used spoons and spatulas, to free up even more space in the drawer.<br />
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<u>Pot & Pans Cabinet</u><br />
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I think the dilemma of pot lids plagues everyone. These things were all over the place, taking up cabinet real estate where I needed to put actual pots and pans.<br />
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Before:<br />
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After:<br />
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A few dollars got me a basic pot lid holder to corral those puppies. I set that at the side of the cabinet, and those things haven’t been roaming around the cabinet since. Putting the smaller ones in front and larger ones in back makes it easy to see what’s there so you can grab the right lid.<br />
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The actual method of storing the pots and pans isn’t stellar - these are all currently stacked inside each other in various combinations. If you have any great suggestions for this, I’d love to hear them! I only have this space free, so it’ll have to work within that constraint.<br />
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<u>Container Drawer</u><br />
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Similar to the pot/pan dilemma, my containers and related lids were all over the place in their designated drawer:<br />
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Before:<br />
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After:<br />
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I re-used these plastic bins that I already had. One held my small half-cup containers and their lids, and the other container is for all of the larger lids. The rest of the containers stack in the remaining space. You almost have to stack them since half the drawer is taken up by the bins, so it’s self-regulating! (I know there's not much in there right now - most were either in use or in the dishwasher. I promise everything actually fits!)<br />
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<u>Other Improvements</u><br />
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All of my other drawers and cabinets got a little work as well, but many of those weren’t as bad to start. We took a box full of various items to Goodwill, and tossed some others. I also replaced our trash can and replaced our recycling box (a cardboard box...nothing special) with another trash can to conceal the stuff and hold a bit more than the box. Overall, I think we’re functioning much better with the newly organized kitchen!<br />
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<b>Since this is still a work in progress, I’d love to hear any other good kitchen organization tips you have!</b>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-22380812802754091162011-08-26T18:00:00.013-05:002011-08-28T13:03:40.055-05:00Confessions of a (Recovering) PerfectionistYou may have noticed that I’ve been trailing behind my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/p/2011-master-plan.html">timeline</a> on my Master Plan projects. (Ok, maybe you haven't. But I have!) I had a little revelation this week. Let me share something about myself to explain...<br />
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My mom often marvels at how she was able to tell the personalities of my brothers and me from a very young age. My indicator? I used to be very upset any time I would color outside of the lines of a coloring book. Being a perfectionist has always been in my blood!<br />
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This attention to detail and desire to have everything 100% correct often serves me well. Things I produce are accurate and comprehensive. I work in finance, so this is a good trait to have in my industry.<br />
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However, perfectionism can also get in the way. Do things need to be 100% correct 100% of the time? No. Is that even possible? Probably not, unless you don’t have much to do, but in this era, we have so much coming at us all the time that your plate is likely overflowing. <b>At some point, you have to decide when something is “good enough.”</b><br />
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I was always a good student, and I went to a good college studying a challenging degree. Naturally, I wanted to continue making the good grades I always had, but my workload was too heavy for me to do every assignment perfectly. I credit my undergraduate major for really teaching me the concept of “good enough.” I had to figure out what was worth spending more time on, and what assignments would be ok with less attention. By learning what was "good enough," I was able to graduate with honors while also being able to participate and hold leadership positions in other activities.<br />
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I went on to a one-year graduate program after college, and thanks to the “good enough” mentality I had built up with my undergrad degree, I was able to get through my program doing less work than some of my classmates. (My extra time went to good use job-hunting.)<br />
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<b>How does this apply to my organizing projects?</b><br />
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I realized this week that I’m trying to get them 100% perfect before saying that they are done. I’ll never get them all done at this rate! I also know that even if I think it’s 100% done at first, chances are that I’ll have to change something later, anyway. If I can only get something 80% done, I can pick up the other 20% later on, and I may have thought of a better way to do it in the meantime.<br />
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<b>Long story short: It’s time to re-apply the “good enough” rule.</b> My kitchen has been mostly done for a few weeks now, but I haven’t posted anything because I’ve been trying to tie down the loose ends. Really, I should accept the progress and move on to the next thing!<br />
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<b>So, my promise to you is that by the end of this weekend, I will have a post up on my kitchen project, and I will have made a start on my next project.</b> I give you the right to come after me if you don’t see that post by Sunday night!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-39846353678515014712011-07-31T16:16:00.002-05:002011-08-28T13:04:15.846-05:00Master Plan - June Project: The BathroomFigured I should get my June project posted at least before July is over, right?<br />
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In my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/07/update-on-june-project.html">update</a> a few weeks ago, I was actually almost done, with the exception of acquiring a couple new containers. Well, they came in a week or so later and work great, so now I'm officially done!<br />
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I have a small bathroom, which means there is only so much space that "stuff" can hide. I have a small cabinet under my sink and a shallow wall cabinet. That's it. Let's start with the wall cabinet...<br />
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This wasn't too bad, but it wasn't great. I envisioned using this cabinet for only those items that I use daily, and some of what was in there didn't fit that description. After new bamboo organizers and a little rearranging, here's the new cabinet!<br />
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Much more functional, and I love the new makeup caddy!<br />
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The other cabinet needed more help:<br />
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The stackable plastic pink baskets were about the only reasonably decent thing I had going on in there. With no built-in shelves, vertical storage was key, but I also had to work around the exposed plumbing. For a long time I had my eye on <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/food-containers-storage/small-cabinet-organizer-with-drawer/s508937">these</a> cabinet drawers, but they were more than I wanted to pay. However, back in February I happened upon some similar items on clearance at Target while looking for other things. Score! That was really all I needed to make the cabinet transformation happen:<br />
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Much better, no? The shelves are great because both the upper and lower drawers slide out for easy access to the items in the back.<br />
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I have been much happier (and less frustrated) with this new layout. Plus, it's one more item checked off the master plan! Now to get the kitchen done...Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-47077593310197058992011-07-11T18:56:00.007-05:002011-08-28T13:04:52.337-05:00"Reading" Your RoomsI came across an interesting article on Real Simple's website today that has given me some direction on my kitchen project. As you may <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/06/change-of-plans.html">recall</a>, I have been avoiding my kitchen reorganization. Part of my avoidance is because I know it's going to be an all-day (or multi-day) affair. Because of the size of the task, I've been wondering where I should begin. Which drawer or cabinet goes first? Not knowing where to start is always overwhelming.<br />
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Enter <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/tips-techniques/clutter-busting-secrets-pros-10000001105517/index.html">this article</a> on tips from organizing pros. One of the tips was to <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/tips-techniques/clutter-busting-secrets-pros-10000001105517/page4.html">"Edit" your rooms</a>: As if you were editing a manuscript, start at the top-left, and work your way left to right, and top to bottom. It's true that it might have no rational relation to your room or what you need to accomplish, but I see the following benefits:<br />
<ul><li>It's a simple, easy suggestion that can be applied to any room.</li>
<li>It gives you a definite starting point.</li>
<li>You always know what you're going to tackle next.</li>
<li>Not having to think about your process means you can focus your energy on the actual task at hand.</li>
</ul>This sounds like a good method to use when doing your initial sweep of "Keep vs. Toss." However, after you purge the whole room, I'd take a step back before you do anything else. You might decide to re-arrange the areas where items are kept, and this would be difficult to do without looking at the room as a whole. However, after everything has been relocated to its new place, you could use the method again to determine the storage needs for each area and doing the final organization.<br />
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I'm definitely going to try this process when I start the kitchen this weekend. Top-left cabinet, here I come!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-29436596570017102262011-07-09T18:10:00.002-05:002011-08-28T13:05:20.459-05:00Update on June ProjectJust wanted to check in and update you all on my June project (the bathroom) since I had <i>promised</i> to get it done in June...<br />
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I <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/07/five-minute-friday-toss-unused-beauty.html">tossed out</a> all the things I didn't use, and then I organized my under-the-sink cabinet with some organizers I had bought earlier this year. The only thing left was to get some new organizers for the wall cabinet, which is rather shallow, and I was having difficulty finding containers thin enough to fit, but not so thin I couldn't fit anything into them.<br />
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So today I did a little shopping on The Container Store's website and found some things I <i>think</i> will work. They'll fit in the cabinet based on the measurements; I just hope they fit my stuff!<br />
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Although I <i>love</i> The Container Store, I don't typically shop there since it tends to be more pricey than other options. However, for a small project I figured I could splurge a little, and if these do the job perfectly, then I'll have justified it! I wish I could have shopped in person and avoided the shipping charges; there is actually a store opening up in town in November...which is conveniently after most of my organizing will be done. :-P<br />
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Anyhow, assuming these are as great as I'm hoping they'll be, I'll post the final update and pictures as soon as they are delivered! In the meantime, I'm planning to set aside some time next Saturday to start working on the kitchen. If I don't start it soon, I'm worried I never will!<br />
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I'll leave you with a link from this past week. <a href="http://unclutterer.com/">Unclutterer</a> posted a really cute trench coat that also has magical hidden pockets: <a href="http://unclutterer.com/2011/06/30/review-scottevest-trench-coat/">check it out</a>!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-70216747248469591022011-07-01T07:00:00.010-05:002011-08-28T13:05:51.288-05:00Five Minute Friday: Toss Unused Beauty ProductsSorry about the lapse in my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/search/label/Five%20Minute%20Fridays">Five Minute Friday</a> series last week! My vacation had me all out of whack, and I accidentally let three weeks go by instead of two!<br />
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Since I promised <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/06/change-of-plans.html">last week</a> that I was going to get moving on the bathroom project, I needed to get started. I wasn't quite in the mood to jump in head first, so I decided to play a little game with myself. I'd give myself five minutes to toss out all the old beauty products I no longer use. No organization, just elimination.<br />
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I have a very small bathroom, so I was actually able to get through ALL of my stuff in the five minutes. If you have more cabinets (or you just have more things crammed into your cabinet than I did!), you might not be able to toss <i>everything</i> in five minutes that you would if you took twenty. However, the point of this exercise is speed: a quick trim off the top. The benefit of a time limit is that it doesn't allow you to dwell; if you don't use it, don't convince yourself that you will, just toss it!<br />
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Here's what I collected in my five minutes:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjS5jg_LwKvM5SAixQGXddk-qcWfPXRkgKZ_Fnje9An9tGdRcxrVFvH7yeNOvwV20idYRkzebycyg2kchBoaWWVJ7F-G4ArKmSeJIGGwJzJco324qIFnwoShfhsAw36Auv4veYSsKX3o/s1600/DSC02181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjS5jg_LwKvM5SAixQGXddk-qcWfPXRkgKZ_Fnje9An9tGdRcxrVFvH7yeNOvwV20idYRkzebycyg2kchBoaWWVJ7F-G4ArKmSeJIGGwJzJco324qIFnwoShfhsAw36Auv4veYSsKX3o/s320/DSC02181.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Most things I hadn't used since I moved a year and a half ago (some probably longer than that), so most of the products were probably past their expiration and should be tossed even if I did use them occasionally. If you do this exercise and find a lot of recently purchased and unopened products, you could consider donating them or giving them to a friend who would enjoy them! (Just make sure she'll actually use them so you're not just moving your clutter to her house!)<br />
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This quick exercise was a great start to my next project. It cleared out all the old junk, which left me to the actual organizing of the "good stuff" that remained. Having that quick success actually motivated me to do a little more work on the project, so I'm already almost done! Sometimes that first hurdle seems higher than it really is, and when you get over it, the rest of the way doesn't seem so bad. :-)<br />
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I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-44466630824717403812011-06-21T07:51:00.002-05:002011-08-28T13:06:21.590-05:00A Change of Plans<div style="font-family: inherit;">Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA lately! I have an excuse for last week, since I was on (a much-needed) vacation, where I spent a week at a mountain lake with my immediate family. I got caught up on sleep, and I feel much more relaxed and refreshed than I did before the trip. My spirit feels renewed, and I've gained back some motivation that I seemed to have lost prior to the trip!<br />
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Part of that lost motivation was related to my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/p/2011-master-plan.html">Master Plan</a>, which you may have noticed has gone unmentioned for a while. I was doing really well through the end of April, when I completed my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/05/master-plan-april-project-filing.html">filing cabinet project</a>. I was out of town for a friend's wedding the first weekend of May, and that was the last sighting of my motivation.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I was just reading a <a href="http://unclutterer.com/2011/06/20/the-keystone-demise/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+unclutterer+%28Unclutterer%29">post</a> from <a href="http://unclutterer.com/">Unclutterer</a> on how one small thing can seem to stop all your best organizing efforts. Her post was more about the daily clutter getting out of control, but I think it's just as applicable to many other scenarios. Was that weekend away from home (and the subsequent heavier workload the following weekend playing catch-up) just the last straw in pushing me off-track?</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I'm sure that was part of it, but I think there was another factor: the next project I had lined up for May was the kitchen. There are several problem spots in the kitchen, and I confess that I wasn't particularly looking forward to working on it. It was much easier to tell myself I had to get caught up with laundry than to tackle that big task!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Fast forward a few weeks, and we're well into June and I haven't managed to make any progress! Beating myself up about it won't get my anywhere, so, prompted by <a href="http://orgjunkie.com/">I'm an Organizing Junkie</a>'s <a href="http://orgjunkie.com/2011/06/52-weeks-24-finish-what-you-start.html">recent post</a>, it's time to re-evaluate!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Here was my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/01/master-plan.html">original Master Plan</a> for May forward:</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><ul><li><b>May: </b>The Kitchen</li>
<li><b>June: </b>The Bathrooms</li>
<li><b>July: </b>The Hall Closet</li>
<li><b>August: </b>The Living/Dining Area</li>
<li><b>September: </b>The Master Bedroom Closet</li>
<li><b>October: </b>The "Back House"</li>
<li><b>November: </b>The Master Bedroom</li>
</ul>Obviously the kitchen needs to be pushed back since I haven't even started on that one! I feel like I can get the bathrooms done by the end of June, so I'll leave that as is. It should be one of the easier projects, and I think that will help to get a quick success under my belt to build up enough momentum for the kitchen, which I have moved to July. (Can't allow myself to procrastinate too much!)<br />
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Since the living/dining areas probably need the least amount of attention, I moved that to December (which was previously project-less) and moved the hall closet (formerly in July's slot) to the empty August slot. That still gives me an easier project between the kitchen and the master closet (another daunting task).<br />
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Here is the <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/p/2011-master-plan.html">new and improved Master Plan</a>:<br />
<ul><li style="color: black;"><b>June: </b>The Bathrooms</li>
<li style="color: #cc0000;"><b>July: </b>The Kitchen</li>
<li style="color: #cc0000;"><b>August: </b>The Hall Closet </li>
<li><b>September: </b>The Master Bedroom Closet</li>
<li><b>October: </b>The "Back House"</li>
<li><b>November: </b>The Master Bedroom</li>
<li style="color: #cc0000;"><b>December: </b>The Living/Dining Area</li>
</ul>I can't make any guarantees that this won't change again, but I think the important part is flexibility. If you get knocked down, just pick yourself right back up! I'll leave you with one of my all-time favorite quotes which reminds me to look forward instead of back when I hit a setback:<br />
<blockquote><i>Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your own nonsense.</i><br />
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson</blockquote>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-68540903051461989082011-06-10T07:00:00.005-05:002011-08-28T13:06:42.450-05:00Five Minute Friday: Stop the Sales CallsWelcome to the second <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/search/label/Five%20Minute%20Fridays">Five Minute Friday</a>! Ready for another quick way to a simpler life?<br />
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Continuing with the theme from <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/05/five-minute-friday-eliminate-credit.html">last time</a>, on handy websites my local Better Business Bureau provided ot me, I have another useful online resource to share with you.<br />
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I had actually heard of (and used) this one before: <a href="http://www.donotcall.gov/">www.donotcall.gov</a>. In just a couple steps, you can put your phone number on the "Do Not Call" list, to prevent those pesky telemarketers from calling you right in the middle of dinner.<br />
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Although I knew I had used this website in the past, I wasn't sure if I had used it for my current cell number. Luckily, they have a "Verify A Registration" link where it will check to see if your number is already registered. A few quick clicks, and an email appeared in my inbox telling me that this number was, in fact, not registered.<br />
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No problem! I just went back to the website and clicked the "Register A Phone Number" link. Again, just a minute later I had an email confirmation that my number had been added to the list.<br />
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All of this (including both the verification and the registration) took me less than five minutes. It will actually let you register (and verify) up to 3 numbers at a time, so if you have multiple numbers to add, it won't take you any longer than it takes to type the phone number!<br />
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I know phone calls aren't physical clutter like those pesky credit offers, but those phone calls are still just one more thing you have to deal with; even if you don't answer, that ringing phone would probably disrupt your train of thought. And if it takes just less than five minutes to eliminate from your life, why not?Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-69817737448785261092011-05-27T07:00:00.007-05:002011-08-28T13:07:15.162-05:00Five Minute Friday: Eliminate the Credit OffersI thought I'd start up a little series where every other Friday I'll offer up a suggestion of something simple you can do in five minutes to help de-clutter your life. Hence the name: <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/search/label/Five%20Minute%20Fridays">Five-Minute Fridays</a>!<br />
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Today's suggestion comes courtesy of my local Better Business Bureau. If you recall, I took advantage of their <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/04/free-nationwide-shred-day-saturday.html">Free Shred Day</a> in April as part of my <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/05/master-plan-april-project-filing.html">filing cabinet project</a>. Before I dropped off my papers, they handed me a "goody bag" that had some various information. I flipped through it when I got home, and found a handy list of some useful websites.<br />
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One of those websites is <a href="http://www.optoutprescreen.com/">www.optoutprescreen.com</a>. This website will remove you from those annoying pre-approved credit offers that seem to show up all too often in the mail. I've always found these particularly annoying. I don't request them. I don't read them. I don't want them. Yet I have to spend the time to properly dispose of them. (For me, this means shredding any contents with my information and recycling the envelope and random inserts.) Sure, this doesn't really take that long in the grand scheme of things, but why should I have to invest my time dealing with something that I don't want?<br />
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So, in less than five minutes, you can go to the website and opt-out of those credit offers. There are three options:<br />
<ol><li>Opt In (in case you haven't been receiving these and for some reason, want them)</li>
<li>5-Year Electronic Opt Out</li>
<li>Permanent Mail Opt Out</li>
</ol>I chose the permanent option. I filled out my name and address (FYI - it won't force you to put it any additional information), and submitted the form. In the first paragraph of the page afterward, it gives a link to print a confirmation and the permanent mail form. Just print, sign, put in an envelope, slap on a stamp, and pop it in the mail.<br />
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And in less than five minutes, you can be free of these useless pieces of mail (forever)! How easy is that?Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-81426566200582723402011-05-18T19:00:00.009-05:002011-08-28T13:08:15.547-05:00Files: To Keep, or Not To Keep?<div style="font-family: inherit;">Although reorganizing my filing cabinet was fairly easy, I did have to spend some time researching how long I should be keeping everything. I found that not every source had comprehensive information, so I had to compile from several sources, and then I also modified or created my own rules in some cases to tailor to my lifestyle.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Below are the guidelines that I used when de-cluttering my files. Keep in mind that I'm not a tax or legal professional, so this is the intersection of common timeframes and what worked for me. You may want to check with your accountant or lawyer if you are concerned about keeping or tossing certain documents in your files.<br />
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<u><b>Receipts:</b></u><b> </b><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1) If needed for documentation of a tax deduction, file along with your tax returns.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2) If the receipt is for a major purchase (appliances, electronics, etc.), keep the receipt as long as you own the item. </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3) If needed for documentation of a warranty, keep until the warranty expires or you no longer own the item, whichever comes first. </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4) If for a smaller purchase, keep only as long as the return policy is valid (or until you know you won't return the item, whichever comes first).</b><b>5) Otherwise, keep receipts only until reconciled with your bank/credit card statement. </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I've started writing the "expiration date" of the receipt on the top of each one to make it easier to find and discard old receipts when I flip through my records. Target receipts helpfully print this right at the top; for the rest you'll have to do some quick math.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Medical Bills:</u> Unless you need to keep for tax purposes (either a deduction or as proof of spending for a pre-tax health savings account), keep only until balances are resolved.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">If you have fairly small medical bills and pay with a regular account, I'm not sure you really need to keep these. I am supposed to keep documentation of things I pay with my HSA debit card, so I'll hang onto them for a year.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Bank & Credit Card Statements:</u> If needed for documentation of a tax deduction, file along with your tax returns. Otherwise, keep only until reconciled.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I receive all of these online, so I don't have any physical files to keep. I don't feel the need to print and file them since I can access them on my bank's website. I also keep such a close eye on my transaction history that I don't need to spend very much time looking over my statements since I've already reviewed the transactions hitting my account throughout the month. It is important to do, however. Just last week I found that a hair salon overcharged my card. I might have missed that if I wasn't paying close attention, since it was a relatively small amount in relation to what my overall credit card bill would have been.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Utility Bills:</b></u><b> Keep three months of history.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">After you pay the bills, you might need utility bills to prove residency for certain things, but I'm not sure I have anything left to prove in my current state, so I'm not even sure this much is necessary for me. I figured I'd hold onto them for three months since they don't take up too much space.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Retirement/Investment Statements:</u> Keep quarterly statements until you receive your annual statement and confirm that it reconciles.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I found that my annual statement from the end of 2010 looked almost exactly like my other quarterly statements, so if you're having a hard time finding an annual statement, take a closer look at your fourth quarter report to see if that includes annual data!<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Social Security Statements:</b></u> <b>Keep the most recent year's statement.</b><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Pay Stubs:</b></u><b> Keep until reconciled with your W-2.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">My paycheck is direct-deposited into my checking account, and all of my pay stubs are available online, so I don't have any paper files for these. Like your credit card statements, you should check your W-2 to make sure it's accurate. If not, you can request a correction before filing your taxes.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Home Documents (Purchase/Sale/Mortgage):</b></u><b> Keep six years after you sell the home.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b>This basically follows the logic of the tax return guideline, since the main reason you would keep this information would be in relation to taxes. This would also include any documentation of major improvements you've made while owning the home.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Tax Returns:</u> Keep for 7 years, along with related documentation.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This is based on the longest timeframe the IRS could audit your return. I found some sources that recommended you keep the returns indefinitely (although you can discard the documentation after 7 years). To me that seems unnecessary, but I'd check with your tax advisor if you think you have a reason to keep them longer than the audit period. A good compromise might be to scan the old returns and save them on a backup drive.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Insurance Policies:</b></u><b> Keep for the life of the policy.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">If your company is like mine, you might only receive the actual terms of your policy when you open it, and then a smaller packet each renewal detailing costs. Keep the terms if you don't receive a new copy each year.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Leases:</u> Keep until all conditions of the lease have been satisfied.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">One source recommended tossing the old lease when you sign a new one. However, if you're signing a lease with a different entity (such as, if you're moving from one apartment to another), I'd probably hang on to the old one until you've moved out and received back any deposits owed to you.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Is there anything in your files that you're not sure how long to keep?</b> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b><i><u>Sources:</u></i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/keeprecords/keeprecords.htm"><u>U.S. General Services Administration</u></a></i><i><u> </u></i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i><u><a href="http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/5-steps-to-simpler-record-keeping-10000000688976/index.html?xid=weeklynews-01-12-2011">Real Simple</a></u></i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.dailyworth.com/posts/711-Which-Financial-Docs-Are-OK-to-Chuck-?%20"><u>Daily Worth</u></a></i><u><br />
</u></div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-53849021949737591522011-05-03T20:58:00.002-05:002011-08-28T13:08:43.658-05:00Master Plan - April Project: The Filing Cabinet<div style="font-family: inherit;">Although I'm a bit late in posting, I <i>did</i> finish the April project in April! This project was the easiest so far and was a nice way to catch up on my schedule.<br />
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My filing cabinet was previously a disorganized abyss of paperwork:</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrqxOdwMC9THUfxiSK0zlBqaHGGYEWYT9p_ESKZThERJ9aKxxU9oLVDdCNt1MdYyCfC_LHJYwKeAJcOotxXw88SPZo6yo2JQia5fsSwqMHbHOSRBfC0AtoitqWz4BtqTC-372fBNtnr8/s1600/DSC02124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrqxOdwMC9THUfxiSK0zlBqaHGGYEWYT9p_ESKZThERJ9aKxxU9oLVDdCNt1MdYyCfC_LHJYwKeAJcOotxXw88SPZo6yo2JQia5fsSwqMHbHOSRBfC0AtoitqWz4BtqTC-372fBNtnr8/s320/DSC02124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">As I was cleaning it out, I was astonished to find things such as receipts from almost four years ago. Had it really been that long since I cleaned it out? (Apparently, it had.)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Not only was it cluttered with things I no longer needed to keep, my file categories were only partially relevant to my life now. I had several catch-all folders that were holding way too many types of files, which often made it difficult to find a particular item I was seeking.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I tackled this project in two passes. The first sweep I went folder by folder in the old files, removing unnecessary items into either a trash or shred pile. At the same time, I re-sorted the items I needed to keep into new folders with more relevant categories. (I used post-it notes as temporary labels so that I didn't have to commit myself to the final label until I was done.)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This didn't take too long and got me 90% of the way there. On my next pass, I went through each of the new folders to organize what was in each folder and remove anything else I felt I didn't need to keep.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I used the same approach for the file structure as I did for my To-Do Box, using the hanging folder labels as my major categories and the manila folder labels as my sub-categories. Implementing the label maker for the final touches, I was done!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8nP7ooqa5UatHH13Q-DZmc5wglCOYBsp5i0yQm7dhZxzYFkPr-pYQ8tIpkYYsFNR2k9SnAR9rrH8xjFSgyU6a9SbkIMbLBERFL7jaXYL4P1kUtpZ4e5xvBnvHRVKc0QKFLA0vf6l5Rk/s1600/DSC02172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8nP7ooqa5UatHH13Q-DZmc5wglCOYBsp5i0yQm7dhZxzYFkPr-pYQ8tIpkYYsFNR2k9SnAR9rrH8xjFSgyU6a9SbkIMbLBERFL7jaXYL4P1kUtpZ4e5xvBnvHRVKc0QKFLA0vf6l5Rk/s320/DSC02172.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">My next post will describe how I determined what to keep and what to toss. I am also planning to do a mini-project in the future to put together an "In Case of Emergency" file. (You might have noticed the "ICE" label in the "after" photo...) Stay tuned!</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-73474634104422024892011-04-24T10:00:00.003-05:002011-08-28T13:09:20.634-05:00Taxes Are Done...Time to Get Ready for Next Year!<div style="font-family: inherit;">I can almost hear the groans...</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">"But Jenna, I just got <i>done</i> filing my taxes...and now you want to talk about next year?"</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Just like thinking about having another drink might intensify that hangover headache you feel the morning after a wild party, the last thing you probably want to think about during your "tax hangover" (as <a href="http://www.learnvest.com/money-tuneup/taxes/tax-hangover-the-cure-for-next-year/">LearnVest</a> calls it) is taxes.<br />
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However, I think the most effective time to learn from mistakes is when that pain is fresh in your memory. Doing some reflection now can help you start preparing to prevent that hangover next year.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Think about how you felt your tax process went this year. Were there any areas that were particularly stressful or frustrating? If so, now is the time to figure out how to make that less stressful next year and to start working towards that goal.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">First, there's the organizational pain (or perhaps more accurately, lack-of-organization pain). Although I'm currently working on my filing system now, it wasn't so spectacular (ok, maybe it was a small disaster) earlier this year. As a result, I had to do some rummaging around to find documents, such as receipts from donations in the prior year.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">How can I do this better next year? As part of my new file system, I'm creating a "2011 Taxes" folder to keep documentation of all of my donations throughout this year. Then, come tax time, all I have to do is pull out the folder and everything will be in one place. The same concept would apply for any type of tax documentation you need to keep, such as receipts for work-related expenses, large medical bills, records of investment sales, etc. If you feel that you need to keep a medical document with your other medical files and not with taxes, you could simply make a copy and keep the extra with the tax items for easy reference. Or, if you don't like wasting numerous pieces of paper, you could keep a list of tax-related items in the tax folder that reference all of those bills you'll need and their location. Just come up with something that works with your style and your system.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Second, there's the monetary aspect. It's never fun finding out you owe taxes after filling out your return. I've been lucky enough to have usually been on the receiving side thus far. However, I still don't particularly like the idea of a large refund since it means I haven't been able to earn any interest on that money during the year, and I haven't had any choice with what to do with that extra money over the last 12 months. I feel I can do better.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Unless you had a relatively small refund or payment, I'd recommend you give your W-4 withholding a check-up. The IRS actually has a <a href="http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html">calculator</a> you can use to help you determine if changing your withholding (up or down) would be beneficial. (Tip: Make sure you have nearby access to your last tax return and your year-to-date pay stubs...you'll need information from there to complete the calculator.) Turns out it would be beneficial for me to increase my allowances by one to get a much smaller refund next year, so I went ahead and made that change with my HR department.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I know that my taxes are fairly straight-forward, so I'm sure this is barely the tip of the iceberg, but you get the idea!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Did you have a "tax hangover" this year? If so, how do you plan to avoid tough situations for next year's taxes?</b></div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-87956804549910744532011-04-19T20:53:00.003-05:002011-08-28T13:09:47.684-05:00Master Plan - March Project: The Office Closet<div style="font-family: inherit;">I realize it's April...but it was intended as the March project, and I started it in March. Either way, it's done! This project was actually pretty simple and really just took so long since I was out of town one weekend and spent some time finding some decently cheap organizing materials to get the job done.<br />
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Here is the "before" state...</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJoOJIC2-vG2n7FWmSXLAXMogiQGTjprSvA_ycuCGwQ5qx8KoVYVUZp6d7Co4b15YdS0fO5EwlpymujnHkuaVcBSSpYiGzNSiAPMeo-yoIjDegnyE7FrK7r4pv5pACjXK-XkJD6Jv_Ao/s1600/DSC02071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJoOJIC2-vG2n7FWmSXLAXMogiQGTjprSvA_ycuCGwQ5qx8KoVYVUZp6d7Co4b15YdS0fO5EwlpymujnHkuaVcBSSpYiGzNSiAPMeo-yoIjDegnyE7FrK7r4pv5pACjXK-XkJD6Jv_Ao/s320/DSC02071.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE7YlPbimfU_5fz_QX_1CX0KHO7otuZTvL9Mpqziv6mWwGOsKvFlTf0DHzenLWGt_vKCVUFQO_39HfRZUJKm_EwpD4kS1Bl0_4wvncg4LN_J_CTykeJYB8jQXPb5VreMvlo4nTmFB9mM/s1600/DSC02040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">There were no major problems in the closet except the general disorder and lack of storage for things that weren't clothes on hangers. As I was redoing the office, however, it became clear that some things needed to move into the closet. In turn, I had to get rid of some closet clutter to make room. After some shelving and a few plastic bins to contain things, this is what I ended up with...</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSodpvLw9SHkAEycXE86EJ-gOu6fCKw0EDoYU2CO5UTOXFHYrFATxGKg3Fw6rNQKmNVeZ4yIpzgMI8W0wbxGK3DiR9FKidy_P4k4PDYiK6-3a0q706a-pwnyaxnu1Ljm1k-_bKOH17uts/s1600/DSC02170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSodpvLw9SHkAEycXE86EJ-gOu6fCKw0EDoYU2CO5UTOXFHYrFATxGKg3Fw6rNQKmNVeZ4yIpzgMI8W0wbxGK3DiR9FKidy_P4k4PDYiK6-3a0q706a-pwnyaxnu1Ljm1k-_bKOH17uts/s320/DSC02170.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The inexpensive (but sturdy) plastic shelving holds some relatively inexpensive plastic bins of various sizes (all Sterilite brand, all from Target). My craft and sewing supplies were previously jumbled up in a bigger bin, so this gave me an opportunity to separate them out and make things easier to find. My violin found a home as well as some of Tom's extra art supplies. The filing cabinet moved to the other side of the closet (although I noticed you can't even see it in the "before" photo). The shelving above has been re-purposed for holding extra linens. (This room is intended to be a guest room, in case of guests, so it made sense to me to keep the extra bedding here as well.) When I get to organizing the master closet, I'd like to move these extra clothes in there as well, which would give me some extra storage above the filing cabinet, but for now they're sufficiently off to the side in here. Gotta take it one step at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(As a side note, I noticed a sticker on the back of one of the lids when I was organizing things into the bins. So, I'd like to thank Sterilite for reminding me not to put a child into a plastic storage bin!)</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFforLWfBlrUEmhzhrNgBjwDggt8jZtXLOhJVprdJdzMPQJOKMLM_MvSGaJBhSDkMpvhLnOMeuC7ln6kqdfF6TpuJnSop7stcQ94rS-reosZ4ed2V_mTFLwN4MwhufUjR4yahqE6uyiZg/s1600/DSC02165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFforLWfBlrUEmhzhrNgBjwDggt8jZtXLOhJVprdJdzMPQJOKMLM_MvSGaJBhSDkMpvhLnOMeuC7ln6kqdfF6TpuJnSop7stcQ94rS-reosZ4ed2V_mTFLwN4MwhufUjR4yahqE6uyiZg/s320/DSC02165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltAOs0h0eJb_spiAws1kL43Jev2N7zDC0nwDM_WvgGv5bAsofjJLvcJ8zkzKssf-7nTHSbt6ZxGORoWc3sRSahk1ulbcZ856o0-w-qqaWSMWZ_69LQTWF_fXaBCCyWxgAZ5qOxmXGq4w/s1600/DSC02163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltAOs0h0eJb_spiAws1kL43Jev2N7zDC0nwDM_WvgGv5bAsofjJLvcJ8zkzKssf-7nTHSbt6ZxGORoWc3sRSahk1ulbcZ856o0-w-qqaWSMWZ_69LQTWF_fXaBCCyWxgAZ5qOxmXGq4w/s320/DSC02163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This project has made me appreciate (again) that my house is a renovated version of its former 1935 self...this is the smaller of my two bedroom closets, and I'm sure the original home's largest closet wasn't even this big. However, it's good to keep that pre-war "small closet" mentality in mind...we surely don't need to pack every closet to the gills just because we have the space.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I'm glad to have another project under my belt. This marks the 3rd project of the year, so I guess I'm 25% of the way through! I know I still have a long way to go, but these accomplishments help to give me the confidence and motivation to keep on going!</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-50916396562640374872011-04-15T12:31:00.002-05:002011-08-12T14:05:48.748-05:00Free Nationwide Shred Day - Saturday April 16<div style="font-family: inherit;">Apparently this Free Shred Day is a nationwide event sponsored by the Better Business Bureau as their "Secure Your ID" Day. <b>It is tomorrow, Saturday, April 16th.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">If you're like me and have a pile of old documents you need to shred, check out their website to see if there's a participating location in your area!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.bbb.org/us/secure-your-id-participants/">Secure Your ID Participants</a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">A little bit of late notice to all of you, but I can't think of a better way to spend your Friday evening than going through your filing cabinet! (Right??)</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-53844606683777015822011-04-12T20:53:00.000-05:002011-04-12T20:53:50.674-05:00My House May Be Small......but it's not 90-square feet!<br />
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Yes, 90, I'm not missing a zero in there.<br />
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Check out this video of a woman who rents a 90-square foot apartment in New York City. She is (not surprisingly) a professional organizer. On one hand, it makes me appreciate that I'm not trying to cram my life into 90 square feet. On the other hand, I'm jealous of the liberation that freedom from material possessions can give you. I think this video is a good reminder throughout this organizing process that no, we don't really need everything that we <i>think</i> we need.<br />
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<a href="http://faircompanies.com/videos/view/simple-life-manhattan-a-90-square-foot-microstudio/">Simple life Manhattan: a 90-square-foot microstudio</a><br />
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A quick update on where I'm at with my current projects (the Office Closet and the Filing Cabinet)... I set up some shelving in the closet and have been pricing out some plastic bins, so that has been on hold. In the meantime, there is a local company hosting a free "Shred Day" this weekend, so I'm hoping to go through my filing cabinet this week and make a big pile of papers to take to that. (I'm sure it would take me forever to feed them, 5 sheets at a time, through my home shredder! And I might break it in the process.) I think I'm still on track to get both projects done by the end of the month, so stay tuned!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-84869238632815434442011-03-26T12:00:00.002-05:002011-08-28T13:10:47.911-05:00Tackling To-Dos: Eliminating Paper Piles<div style="font-family: inherit;">If you're anything like me, you don't have time to deal with every piece of paper that comes through the door every day. If you're also a visual person that needs things in plain sight to remember them, this results in a pile-up of "to-do" items. Literally, piles.<br />
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Not only is a pile of papers unattractive, but they're also a pretty inefficient way to keep track of things. Need a recent receipt to return something you purchased? I would end up on a quest to sift through the backlog, and might ultimately find it between an invitation to an upcoming event and an electric bill. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Since my former desk area was on the kitchen table, these piles were even more of a nuisance. We were constantly having to move them when we needed to eat dinner. It just wasn't working!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I humbly give you the insanity that existed just before I remedied the problem:</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsBIs1ISXAcralakdr-5X8Y96tWdzdrk_HbBRrrCBzQxDs42h_82LyX-xyVWyh6wDQBHcDyLoVze2ze90A1CRo0haIxFFRQ01JEV8SBswNRS08dvR3DYVDKYb3XKpsMynXP1m1zqtr7M/s1600/DSC02106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsBIs1ISXAcralakdr-5X8Y96tWdzdrk_HbBRrrCBzQxDs42h_82LyX-xyVWyh6wDQBHcDyLoVze2ze90A1CRo0haIxFFRQ01JEV8SBswNRS08dvR3DYVDKYb3XKpsMynXP1m1zqtr7M/s320/DSC02106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aZrj2NOgyCskHUtPkfh4Q3R8SmhbMDnhle3fzFIgtWxba8cdxOoUMeMF8NXsyusoLrFWXDA5MrG8p6jHsBoDMy6gMGqM1rMnnc5IYM8hIYf2zgCYn0kJSMLgQVkbM-b650ltK1oWXJ8/s1600/DSC02108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aZrj2NOgyCskHUtPkfh4Q3R8SmhbMDnhle3fzFIgtWxba8cdxOoUMeMF8NXsyusoLrFWXDA5MrG8p6jHsBoDMy6gMGqM1rMnnc5IYM8hIYf2zgCYn0kJSMLgQVkbM-b650ltK1oWXJ8/s320/DSC02108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqed0JNWldCsXt5HBh_t03vj_DZQs4a4w-2MN5ygX863lFxFO-TQ9mE_dOIdrAsCDhK6o4v-EByyp8xU4HpWjiaAwBy1xYl_s7effJj99Cg0o4SNDWs5rayd2-yamLkU0pGQytkde5ps/s1600/DSC02110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqed0JNWldCsXt5HBh_t03vj_DZQs4a4w-2MN5ygX863lFxFO-TQ9mE_dOIdrAsCDhK6o4v-EByyp8xU4HpWjiaAwBy1xYl_s7effJj99Cg0o4SNDWs5rayd2-yamLkU0pGQytkde5ps/s320/DSC02110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">So, inspired by an idea in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Year-Organized-Life-Week-Week/dp/1600940560">book</a> by Regina Leeds I am reading, I set out to make myself a file system for my to-dos. In the book, she recommends adding a section at the front of your filing cabinet to contain them. Since I moved the filing cabinet into the closet as part of the office revamp, that wasn't going to be very convenient. Plus, as I mentioned before, I'm a visual person and like things I need to be reminded of in sight.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">My solution was a desktop file box, which is big enough to fit all of the things that I need to action, but is also small enough that it's not obtrusive and is easily portable, so I can easily carry it into the living room if I want to work on things while watching TV. (The small factor will also prevent me collecting too much stuff in there, as well!)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsNpE0YtJ42k8b5e0ae9uD7KLV2N190fJ_ei-CG4g4DNGIxq07fZMUlDFkYE5oEYWI3_9X3qTPo-4oho_K1pgNEQQ8IFOekxmbxAsWWnVVim24YHF86pCBbWuF2PvZdvPzrpeTsRur0k/s1600/DSC02127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsNpE0YtJ42k8b5e0ae9uD7KLV2N190fJ_ei-CG4g4DNGIxq07fZMUlDFkYE5oEYWI3_9X3qTPo-4oho_K1pgNEQQ8IFOekxmbxAsWWnVVim24YHF86pCBbWuF2PvZdvPzrpeTsRur0k/s320/DSC02127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">My first step was to take those piles of things and organize them into groups that required a similar action. It boiled down into these major categories:</div><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><b>Action Items</b> <i>(Ex.: things needing immediate action: bills to pay, invites to RSVP to, etc.)</i></li>
<li><b>To Read</b> <i>(Ex.: a catalog I'd like to flip through)</i></li>
<li><b>To File</b> <i>(Ex.: paid bills, receipts, etc.)</i></li>
<li><b>To Shred</b> <i>(Ex.: anything with sensitive info that I don't need to file)</i></li>
<li><b>To Log</b> <i>(Ex.: a new recipe, or a travel idea I saw in a magazine)</i></li>
<li><b>Upcoming Events</b> <i>(Ex.: wedding invitations, hotel confirmations, etc.)</i></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: inherit;">Taking the suggestion from the book, I set up hanging file folders for each of these main categories, all with the label on the left side. (I employed my newly acquired label maker for this purpose and had fun using the floral frame design!) I've always been one to stagger the labels so that it made it easier to see them (like most of the world), but the author makes a point that it just makes it more confusing to the eyes, which have to dart back and forth to read them. I noticed myself doing that at work soon after I read that...she had a point!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Then, for some of the categories, I set up sub-folders using regular manila file folders. For these, I picked only right-side tabs. For example, in my "Upcoming Events" category, I have one folder for each of two weddings I am attending this spring. When the event comes up, I can just grab the folder and should have all of my travel reservation confirmations there, along with the wedding invitation.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the final box set-up!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8jWkPEQB6tM3VhzLpDN4BoCNHJ1koz2aQKWmYJNWKTgcMq-ZGu6XeioN4_LVP9ZS4Z5GPzcduoG-oVp3wYBGWU5ouP73LwLUlbc09LWw9-hoC9EvFtjOBIpD3bPMyr2jhzmzr6WA-7E/s1600/DSC02134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8jWkPEQB6tM3VhzLpDN4BoCNHJ1koz2aQKWmYJNWKTgcMq-ZGu6XeioN4_LVP9ZS4Z5GPzcduoG-oVp3wYBGWU5ouP73LwLUlbc09LWw9-hoC9EvFtjOBIpD3bPMyr2jhzmzr6WA-7E/s320/DSC02134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I've been using the box for about two weeks now, and I am keeping up with it. I think there are a few success factors at work here:</div><ol style="font-family: inherit;"><li>My desire to get organized obvious helps a lot!</li>
<li>The fact that my box is appealing to the eye, so it's more pleasant to use. (It's easy to love organizing when you love the things you use to keep you organized. Did you notice the patterned lining in the box?)</li>
<li>It's easy to use, which is due to me setting up relevant categories, so I'm never left with a piece of paper I don't know where to put.</li>
</ol><div style="font-family: inherit;">Then, when I have some time to tackle to-do items, I can simply pick a folder and work on the items inside. Since the items in each folder are all related, I can accomplish these in batches, saving me time compared to jumping from task to task.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, I'm very happy with this new set-up. I'm sure as I go along these categories will need to change, but this is a thousand times better than all those piles!</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-70743256084051732152011-03-20T17:41:00.002-05:002011-08-28T13:11:25.607-05:00Master Plan - February Project: The Office/Music Room<div style="font-family: inherit;">Phew! After six weeks of hard work, the office project is <i>finally </i>done, and I'm very excited to share it with all of you!<br />
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I'll start with the "before" pictures. And actually, these aren't the true "before" state; if you'll remember, we had friends in town in early February, so we had moved out my boyfriend Tom's drum kit temporarily, and after they left, we also moved out the full size bed that had previously leaned up against a wall, so these pictures are actually in a better state than the room was usually in.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsthNJLMzOqO2F6c1_57niSxhFZye2AqImtNC7SwX_OldPrtKLV23gA64AzgzJC88tEYt5y-3oRS4olc-5ouxnlwz149YBFwHUvXslAT52G_CFGtvKD3U12zpdUyFxoBc-tR7jg6YbQRw/s1600/DSC02069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsthNJLMzOqO2F6c1_57niSxhFZye2AqImtNC7SwX_OldPrtKLV23gA64AzgzJC88tEYt5y-3oRS4olc-5ouxnlwz149YBFwHUvXslAT52G_CFGtvKD3U12zpdUyFxoBc-tR7jg6YbQRw/s320/DSC02069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This was the former desk area, which is on the right side of the room. The desk was big enough for Tom's computer, but mine generally lived on the kitchen table along with my various papers/bills I needed to handle. This wasn't working anymore (ok, it never really worked), so part of the office re-do required that I gain a spot in the room for my computer. (And more on those papers later!)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">We also had more books on the (falling apart) bookshelf than we needed. Many of those were sold or donated, our favorites moved out to the living room, and we kept a few in the office.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Qku5rQrm1TAnNst_MQbgaeT9HJKU3btFgFAtS-ItQNUSr_g-0ucknhyphenhyphenHQhO3-7QXQpvHU4YsbEvt-RP9bxyQgTTS5SHo8zCWrmYCWQU3lwpYH16tXg9yNeXSazncja1kEFGgs0i_n9Q/s1600/DSC02067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Qku5rQrm1TAnNst_MQbgaeT9HJKU3btFgFAtS-ItQNUSr_g-0ucknhyphenhyphenHQhO3-7QXQpvHU4YsbEvt-RP9bxyQgTTS5SHo8zCWrmYCWQU3lwpYH16tXg9yNeXSazncja1kEFGgs0i_n9Q/s320/DSC02067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Panning to the left, there was a dresser that sat in front of the windows and was generally unused, except maybe one or two of the six drawers. This was one of the many things I sold. The mirror and the lamp next to it were other victims.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvd17N12wT6QqOGgDTFJkQubNX5Dnddj_ou1hAJJm0Lx9h9kuqgTmn_voCgXOdKhoHC_HSSXnuIXVTEtUNRCRxFH-vvQQSPVAClw45A6Fr1oqmbHApBt5Z0TAUnOftDXEtE_cCu_GJmtc/s1600/DSC02068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvd17N12wT6QqOGgDTFJkQubNX5Dnddj_ou1hAJJm0Lx9h9kuqgTmn_voCgXOdKhoHC_HSSXnuIXVTEtUNRCRxFH-vvQQSPVAClw45A6Fr1oqmbHApBt5Z0TAUnOftDXEtE_cCu_GJmtc/s320/DSC02068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This deceptively-empty area usually housed the drums in the left corner (where you see the guitar and violin cases), which was problematic since there is a closet on the wall to the left (not shown), so accessing the closet was a challenge. Also, the right corner (where you see the mirror) was home to the mattress & box spring, which were leaned upright against the wall when not in use. The mattress set was another of my Craigslist victims.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">That was the old room. Overly cluttered, and not as functional as it should have been!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Fast forward six weeks to our new & improved Office/Music Room!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdotr0uXJ1faLaGZQzxi1magoqAUmIBU7gqHa5N1OC9RMbfAYFvVnibzr-5qRmfg5cRfgAp3d2eszymbXbYScQ_pwYFMMYueKlIraSj5gYHxg8-JhfBF5pVEkCy3_E-Vuqp6NGwxKCS4/s1600/DSC02131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdotr0uXJ1faLaGZQzxi1magoqAUmIBU7gqHa5N1OC9RMbfAYFvVnibzr-5qRmfg5cRfgAp3d2eszymbXbYScQ_pwYFMMYueKlIraSj5gYHxg8-JhfBF5pVEkCy3_E-Vuqp6NGwxKCS4/s320/DSC02131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This is the same angle as the first picture. You can see the drums are back and in a new location. We put a bookshelf next to them which houses our music books and Tom's camera supplies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWkEGqRgi2cuw_sf0F6oRjcKEDdp4bGYNs7tlQAzLz_UNt1ZQL3bbjQumdEfVPc3Dz-QiMrPc2rvDn7elKgi9G4_kSevLp997uW2MFm1e2rEZbyrETvZJ2fIYAbRDNyfeoSuv0GJ8BlI/s1600/DSC02129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWkEGqRgi2cuw_sf0F6oRjcKEDdp4bGYNs7tlQAzLz_UNt1ZQL3bbjQumdEfVPc3Dz-QiMrPc2rvDn7elKgi9G4_kSevLp997uW2MFm1e2rEZbyrETvZJ2fIYAbRDNyfeoSuv0GJ8BlI/s320/DSC02129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Here's the same angle as the second picture. The dresser is gone, and the only thing on that wall now is a small basket/trunk that holds some of Tom's drum accessories when he's not using them. I like that it has a lid - it seems much tidier that way when you're storing something that just can't be stored in an orderly way.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">And here is the crowning glory...the new desk! </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9v2CUb8Y_70gO3g_-VJFDdS-dB_rNqf51pqW903BSpyckh-NBhloRghBaLs1MRP-vyNwQARTXG-A0RMl-S8CFP8GS1LCzQ3lvKkMnpKYxMhVx8sFwiKgHcs03kwvnURscUDkQyNmI5Y/s1600/DSC02130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9v2CUb8Y_70gO3g_-VJFDdS-dB_rNqf51pqW903BSpyckh-NBhloRghBaLs1MRP-vyNwQARTXG-A0RMl-S8CFP8GS1LCzQ3lvKkMnpKYxMhVx8sFwiKgHcs03kwvnURscUDkQyNmI5Y/s320/DSC02130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">(Same angle as the third picture, for those keeping track.) This is actually a dining table, since I had a tough time finding a desk in such a wide dimension that we could sit on opposite sides of it without breathing on each other. I'll give my parents credit for this idea - they have a huge desk that they share in this fashion. Add a second desk chair and voila - I have desk space!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vLdcZjPOLOFYiPUMwsKhStBABLG99VdyVSCArmCzq0KInrdYnJpafy2wkU26Trb8izY6EoC4JNRsCA8V1cxBCU6rI9ZNeTgyc8Ehqa1tKjy-A169_uHnZM_uVLJn5fJnMc0qvFWfpZU/s1600/DSC02132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vLdcZjPOLOFYiPUMwsKhStBABLG99VdyVSCArmCzq0KInrdYnJpafy2wkU26Trb8izY6EoC4JNRsCA8V1cxBCU6rI9ZNeTgyc8Ehqa1tKjy-A169_uHnZM_uVLJn5fJnMc0qvFWfpZU/s320/DSC02132.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The bookshelf on Tom's side houses our new wireless printer (love that thing!), various types of paper, and his school and art supplies.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietp9ip0X8KPw5KY340EUVxr74d_oWjIlOO9rrv1-RxZz-QlSs0QJdLOe3TwHhab0cH9ot2l7926j-XVFFqXjD3eqaE_xd3v_FyCdpdePMr5VDeYNy8CB5YOlaKf9iOOx5wv6avcXfoxM/s1600/DSC02133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietp9ip0X8KPw5KY340EUVxr74d_oWjIlOO9rrv1-RxZz-QlSs0QJdLOe3TwHhab0cH9ot2l7926j-XVFFqXjD3eqaE_xd3v_FyCdpdePMr5VDeYNy8CB5YOlaKf9iOOx5wv6avcXfoxM/s320/DSC02133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The bookshelf on my side holds some of my books (mostly ones I haven't yet read) along with general office supplies. Also, here is the aforementioned closet that was a challenge to access previously. Not a problem anymore!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">And of course, the lovely blue paint job really makes it seem like a whole different room. (Just painted this morning - I can still smell the fresh paint as I write this, from my new desk of course!)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This project really was a labor of love. This was the room that stressed me out the most, so I feel such a relief having completed this part of the transformation. I say part since my next two projects are actually related as well. My March project is the closet in this room, and I've already started on that a bit, and then my April project is revamping my filing cabinet.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Neither of these next two projects should take nearly the amount of work the main part of the room required, so you'll be hearing about those much sooner! In the meantime, since it's also office-related, I'll tide you over with a post about how I conquered my to-do piles (for good), so stay tuned!</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-80891448824297951262011-03-14T20:49:00.002-05:002011-08-12T14:05:01.393-05:00New Page: Resources + Inspiration<div style="font-family: inherit;">Hi readers!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Just wanted to let you know that I have added a new page to my blog, <a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/p/resources-inspiration.html">Resources + Inspiration</a>. This has been added to the link list across the top of the blog, so it is accessible from whatever page you are viewing!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">As clever as you might think I am, I don't come up with all of my ideas all by my lonesome. I wanted to make sure credit was given where credit is due, so I created this page to collect my favorite organizing resources. Right now I have 2 books and 3 blogs listed on there, but I'm sure I will add to this as I find additional favorites!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you enjoy these and find them as helpful as I have!</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-38332923830797190432011-03-11T22:07:00.002-06:002011-08-28T13:12:19.534-05:00Recognizing Sunk Costs<div style="font-family: inherit;">I have been a very busy bee working on my February/March project of the office, and I'm pleased to say that it's finally starting to come together! I'm putting the final touches on the organization, and then we're actually going to paint the room, so I'm holding off on the final pictures for that. I'm planning to post "the reveal" by the end of March. I'll then plan to spend April working on the office closet, including a makeover for my filing cabinet.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">However, I wanted to pop on here and update you all on my progress, as well as to talk about an <a href="http://www.learnvest.com/living-frugally/psychology-of-money/sunk-costs-the-science-of-cutting-your-losses/">article</a> I recently read on one of my new favorite financial sites, <a href="http://www.learnvest.com/">LearnVest</a>, about sunk costs.<br />
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The article talked about how people in general often feel obligated toward things because they've paid for them. I suppose we feel the need to justify the money we have spent. Since I work in finance and keep myself on a strict budget, I can definitely relate to that feeling of "wasting" money.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The point of the article is that we just need to take a step back and realize that we've already spent the money, anyway, regardless of what action we take in the future. This applies in many ways to clutter and organization.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">For example, I'm sure you can think of some things you have around your home that you are keeping even though you don't use it regularly or necessarily love it. Maybe you think, "I might wear those pants someday." Or, "I paid a lot for that lamp - I can't just get rid of it!" These thoughts either lead us to display things that don't really reflect our passions, or store things that (realistically) we would rarely use.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">These things are sunk costs. Do these excess items really do us any good? Do they help move us towards our goals? If not, maybe it's time for them to go.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Now, unless you just bought something and you're within the return policy for a store, you're probably not getting your money back. However, there are options so you don't have to literally throw the items away. You can donate items to charities, which would offer you a tax deduction. Or, you could sell the items and regain some of the money, if you feel the time you'd put into a sale is worth it.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Both of those things make me feel better about letting go of items. I know that I am making room for things that will be much more beneficial and useful to me. In fact, I have sold of a lot of items while working on my office project, which has provided me with extra money that I could add to my budget to really make this project something beyond what my minimal budget would have done. However, even I took a step back and realized that some items just didn't have much value to take the time to sell, so I acknowledged the sunk costs and donated them instead.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This does take some conscious effort - you have to actively want to eliminate the excess to accomplish this - but it's worth it in the end. I think it also gets easier the more you do it. You realize it doesn't pain you like you might have thought. However, this is definitely something I'll continue to keep in mind as I continue in my organizing quest throughout the year!</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-50483455411604688782011-02-24T20:48:00.002-06:002011-08-28T13:12:52.679-05:00De-Cluttering the Office<div style="font-family: inherit;">Well, we made it through the first phase of the office: de-cluttering. We found 2 1/2 bags worth of trash to toss, a few items to donate, and a small pile of things to re-locate elsewhere in the house. We also found a good bit of items to sell, so I currently have a decent-sized "inventory" on Craigslist!<br />
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Don't take that to mean that the room is now organized...it actually now appears more messy! Since we removed a couple storage pieces (a dresser and a bookshelf that was falling apart), some things are currently residing on the floor, and it's certainly not looking any better. I read an organizing book that suggested containing these groups of items in boxes so that it at least appears neat while your work is in progress. However, without a supply of empty boxes handy, I'm just going to leave those piles out in the open. Maybe it'll be encouragement to finish the project faster. :-)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This brings us to the hard part - figuring out where everything <i>should</i> go. I had the idea to rearrange the furniture, so we did some shuffling last weekend, and I think it's a big improvement.<br />
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Aside from the layout, I think that rearranging will also take away any stigma about where things "usually" are. When re-assembling the room and storing things, it might be more tempting to put something where it's always been, for convenience, even if that's not really the best place. Rearranging the layout of the room will force us to come up with a new place to store everything, so we can start fresh.<br />
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So, where to begin? Now that we've tried out the furniture arrangement and are liking it, I think this weekend we'll start working on how we want to store everything. I'm also on the lookout for a larger desk (or table) that the two of us can share. Slowly but surely, it's getting there! Props go to my wonderful boyfriend who is very willingly helping me through this project. :-)</div>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-28603808469557741022011-02-07T19:19:00.001-06:002011-08-28T13:13:20.961-05:00A Fresh PerspectiveIt's been a couple weeks and I just wanted to check in and let you all know that, no, I haven't given up or anything! Since I finished my first project a little early in January, I took the last week "off" from major projects and had some friends in town this past weekend, so I haven't been able to start on my next project.<br />
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Having company over always gives me a new perspective on my home. I think most of us just go about our daily activities and don't think too much about a little clutter here, an inconvenience there, because we're used to it. As soon as company comes over, suddenly we become acutely aware of the problem areas. Perhaps at times we get a little too paranoid about things (I seriously doubt any of my friends would actually perform a "white glove test"), but those little things we've been ignoring suddenly come to light (the dust bunnies in the corner must be swept up!).<br />
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It's the same with clutter, I think. Having to clear out some things from the office to make room for the bed just reminded me of the excess "things" around the house. We can't possibly <i>need</i> all of these "things."<br />
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After a great weekend with friends, I am also geared up and ready to get moving on that office! This room, originally slated as the room in February and the closet in March, will probably be more like a joint project, working on both concurrently and spanning two months. I really want to take the time to be thoughtful about this one since it's multifunctional and rather small, and I want it to be comfortable enough that I'd enjoy spending time in there. (Right now, that room just stresses me out!) The spare bed, which previously has been kept leaning against one of the walls to take up less space, has already been put up for sale on Craigslist. This weekend the purging will begin...can't wait!<br />
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(As a side note, I think my desire for organization is starting to rub off on my boyfriend: he was reorganizing his art supplies the other day! I guess positive energy from a simplified life is contagious!)Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-79595531611088085212011-01-23T17:11:00.001-06:002011-08-28T13:13:51.221-05:00Master Plan - January Project: The Laundry RoomI'm very excited to share that my first project in the Master Plan is complete! I'm happy with the way it turned out, and also happy that I was able to stay in line with my monthly budget for these projects. (By the way, decent bins are pricey!)<br />
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<i>(<b>Note</b>: I created a new page - the "2011 Master Plan" tab at the top of this page - where I will add links to all of my projects as I go through the year. It's the one-stop shop to see everything I've done in one place!)</i><br />
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As was the plan, the first step was basically taking everything out of the room and determining whether it would stay or go. I tossed out only one garbage bag, but several other things (like the drill, a box for the space heater, etc.) migrated out to the back house*. <br />
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<i>*For those who don't know my house, it came with a large outbuilding in the back. Large, as in: it holds a one-car garage and a one-bedroom apartment. It's certainly not in any shape for anyone to be living in it right now, and the garage isn't functional either, but it works just dandy to store things like lawn equipment, Christmas decorations, and other unimportant and seldom used items.</i><br />
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Once I had the excess stuff gone, I took mental inventory and started figuring out how I wanted to put it all back in, and then began the quest for appropriate containers. I'll now begin the "before and after" portion with descriptions after the break...<br />
Here's what you see looking directly into the laundry room:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JolPsLZOkrc/TTyt5eUljkI/AAAAAAAAER0/VINm2JFi3wY/s1600/DSC02040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JolPsLZOkrc/TTyt5eUljkI/AAAAAAAAER0/VINm2JFi3wY/s320/DSC02040.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JolPsLZOkrc/TTyt5xDTAiI/AAAAAAAAER4/WIIMjFimlGw/s1600/DSC02058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JolPsLZOkrc/TTyt5xDTAiI/AAAAAAAAER4/WIIMjFimlGw/s320/DSC02058.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Before, the bottom shelf was a jumbled collection of various laundry and cleaning supplies, some which were used frequently, and some less so. I corralled the frequently used cleaning supplies into a caddy with a handle so that it would be a lot easier to just grab that and go. The less used and extra cleaning solutions are in a bin at the far right, out of the way. In between I added stackable bins for the various swiffer pads and duster handles. On the other side of the bin are the laundry supplies and another set of stackable bins with rags and smaller laundry supplies like lint rollers and stain remover.<br />
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The top shelf previously housed a large plastic bin full of all sorts of random items: hooks, extension cords, gift wrap, some product manuals, and more. Some of its former residents moved to the trash, and the rest got divvied up into the lovely blue baskets I found. Tom helped me out by making the lovely labels. Now it's a lot easier to find exactly what you're looking for when you need to find a (fill in the blank). And it looks nicer, too. :-)<br />
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This is a continuation of the top shelf along the side of the room. A lot of the items on this side moved to the trash or the back house, and the bins continue along the side. The toolbox stayed, but even that was opened and organized.<br />
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The back of the door was formerly home to brooms, but those relocated and now the ironing board and iron have a home off the floor. The step stool was slid on the side of the washer, out of the way. The ironing board also got a mini makeover with a new cover. :-)<br />
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The corner was previously havoc, with all sorts of nonsense on the floor. Now the only things on the floor are the vacuum and drying rack (my old one from college was replaced with a new, sturdier model). The three remaining mops/brooms are all hung up, and I added the fabric compartments to hold things like grocery bags and a flashlight; things that are used frequently (or that you don't really want to hunt down if your power goes out). I'm guessing we'll find more uses for this as we go...still a lot of open sections!<br />
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I also have some extra containers now: the large bin that is now empty, and a couple stacking bins that were leftover. I'm sure these will get used somewhere else in the house as I keep going. <br />
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And there you have it! It is SO much less stressful to go in there now than it was before; it's a big relief. Overall, this room was fairly easy to tackle since it's small, so it was a good place to start. Easy enough to do but big enough that it's made a definite impact. It's given me the confidence I need to go into a more daunting room next month...the office.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-65031519704761005782011-01-22T09:11:00.002-06:002011-08-28T13:14:34.918-05:00Gaining Control Over EmailProject #1 (Laundry Room) is coming along nicely. I only have a couple final things left to obtain, so I'm hoping to have that done tomorrow!<br />
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In the interim, I have realized how much time I spend trying to keep control of my personal email inbox. I'm guessing that I probably receive between 30-50 emails a day from various newsletters, stores, financial institutions, and occasionally from actual people I know. That adds up to a lot of backlog if you don't stay on top of it, and that can be difficult since I don't have that much time to spend on my personal email every day.<br />
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At work, I like to keep my inbox fairly clean and only keep action items visible in my inbox, with everything else sorted into folders. I like to do that at home as well, but every couple months I'd get to a point where I'd have hundreds of emails still in my inbox and I'd have to spend a significant amount of time clearing it out.<br />
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Following a similar process to the OMP (Organizational Master Plan, thanks Laura for the acronym!), I first thought about what I could actually eliminate (the unclutter step). I wasn't willing to part with most of it, but I did find a few things that I never ever read or use, and unsubscribed to those mailings.<br />
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The next step was to figure out how to better manage the remaining items. First, there are things that I'd like to continue receiving, like store coupons and sale emails, that I like to have as references when I do shop, but that I don't really need to read every day. I set up Gmail filters on these that will label them, mark them as read, and bypass my inbox. This way, they're automatically filed into "Shopping" without me lifting a finger. This is also budget-friendly; since I don't see the sale emails, I'm not tempted to do any shopping unless I have already made the conscious decision to look in the "Shopping" folder.<br />
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Some other regular emails I either need to read or enjoy reading. For these, I set up filters, but the only thing the filter does is apply a label. It still sits in my inbox until I read it, but once I do I can just hit "Archive" without having to go through the second step of picking a label. It's a minimal time savings, but every second counts!<br />
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This has really helped over the last few days; I feel like my personal email is much more manageable. Yes, it took some time to set up (I have almost 50 filters set up, and they took maybe 30 seconds each to create), so it'll be a huge time-saver in the end.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-18010977106091081502011-01-16T11:38:00.001-06:002011-08-28T13:15:05.278-05:00The Master Plan"Change in any area of life occurs when the discomfort of remaining the same becomes greater than the discomfort of changing."<br />
~ Sandra Felton, <u>Smart Organizing</u><br />
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It's safe to say that my "discomfort of remaining the same" finally outdid the desire to stick with status quo, and so the Master Plan was born.<br />
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My Master Plan is really just the skeleton for how I'm planning to go about this whole-house-revamp business. I can't actually lay it out in much additional detail since every room will be completely different from the others, and I truly can't say what exactly needs to be done until I really get in there and start working on it. However, I did want to pick one area of the house each month (to keep the process manageable both in terms of time I can devote to it, and money available for purchasing organizational items), and I did come up with a few general phases that each room will follow:<br />
<ol><li><b>Phase 1: De-clutter</b><br />
It's impossible to know what I actually need to organize until I figure out what's in the room and split that out between what <i>should</i> and <i>shouldn't</i> be there. This should only take one day to accomplish.</li>
<li><b>Phase 2: Organize</b><br />
After I get rid of the "shouldn'ts" in the step above, I can step back and assess what is left to organize, and what the best way to do that will be. It might take me a week or two to collect necessary containers and other organizers, and then I should be able to put the room in shape.</li>
<li><b>Phase 3: Follow-up</b><br />
I'm sure that I'm not going to get each room exactly right on the first try. (Although, that would be nice!) I figure I need to give each room at least two months of use to see if it's working. If not, I'll go back to re-assess the problem areas and try different solutions.</li>
</ol>This method will apply to each area as I go through each month's project. And so, without further ado, here is the monthly project list:<br />
<ol><li> <b>January: </b><a href="http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com/2011/01/master-plan-january-project-laundry.html">The Laundry Room</a></li>
<li><b>February: </b>The Office/Music Room/Guest Room (i.e., the second bedroom)</li>
<li><b>March: </b>The Closet in the Office/Music Room/Guest Room</li>
<li><b>April: </b>The Filing Cabinet</li>
<li><b>May: </b>The Kitchen</li>
<li><b>June: </b>The Bathrooms</li>
<li><b>July: </b>The Hall Closet</li>
<li><b>August: </b>The Living/Dining Area</li>
<li><b>September: </b>The Master Bedroom Closet</li>
<li><b>October: </b>The "Back House"</li>
<li><b>November: </b>The Master Bedroom</li>
</ol>Sounds a bit like a tour of the Clue board game, huh? (Jenna with the trash bag in the kitchen...)<br />
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The general logic behind that list was a combination of how much each place drives me crazy (see quote at beginning of post) and what time of year it would make sense to do some of these things (clearing out the files after taxes are done, doing the master closet when I'll be swapping out clothes for the next season, etc.) This might be subject to change as I move forward, but I'm fairly certain the first three will stay in place, since those are the biggest "problem areas."<br />
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That said, I'm starting on Laundry Room: Phase 1 today. I'll be sure to post updates as I go, and you can bet I'll be taking photos along the way to share.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430226412081679100.post-55434818427838233712011-01-10T20:06:00.000-06:002011-01-11T07:32:48.626-06:00"Let's start at the very beginning...""...a very good place to start." ~ Sound of Music<br />
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I have blogged before, but in a more personal, "journal" sort of way. As I've toyed with the idea of getting back into the habit of blogging, I've decided that I'd like to do it in a more focused way. I love learning about food blogs, I've watched my fair share of Food Network programs, and I enjoy trying new recipes, but let's face it: most of the meals I make are pretty basic and rather unworthy of photos and a blog post. (Frozen ravioli and sauce from a mix? One of my faves!) Food blogging was out.<br />
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While I do craft (cross-stitching is my long-time love), I often can't devote enough time to it to make swift enough progress to actually warrant meaningful blog posts. I'm not a lover of politics -- let me rephrase that, I try to stay out of it as much as possible -- so that's not an option, either.<br />
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A number of factors ultimately caused me to land in the general category of "organization." I find myself drooling over well-organized, clean spaces when I flip through catalogs and magazines. I am a hopeless list-maker and often have some good ideas that never get acted upon. Probably the more motivational factor is that I can feel my blood pressure rise when I find myself in certain areas of my house. (Ok, I can't verify that my blood pressure actually rises, but my stress level certainly does!) So, really, it is a matter of personal sanity that I solve this problem!<br />
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And so begins the journey to diagnose the problems and find solutions that I can actually follow and manage. There may be a great idea that would fix one of my organizational dilemmas, but if it's too complicated and doesn't fit fairly easily into my daily routine, it's pretty much worthless. I'm sure that the first answer will not always be the final answer, but as long as I learn from the things that didn't work, I'll always be improving.<br />
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Starting with my next post, I'll discuss what I like to refer to as my "Organizational Master Plan," which has been brewing for a couple months now, and will serve as some general guidelines for how I'm actually going to go about revamping the organization in my home. Stay tuned, and thanks for joining me at the beginning of what will surely be an interesting adventure!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783414338636629655noreply@blogger.com3