Favorite Container #6: Accordion File for Financial Papers

My favorite container for this month is the good old accordion file. It’s my go-to system for organizing our bills and financial information for the year.

At the start of each year I get a large size (20+ pockets) accordion file from the office supply store. I label each section for the key financial paperwork that we keep during the year - credit card statements, mortgage statements, investment statements, receipts for the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, taxes, etc.

When the paper comes in it has a place to go! It’s so easy to open the file to the right section and drop in the paper. No file cabinet needed!

The accordion file is kept in a lidded basket under a desk in my front hall, right where I open mail and need to file papers. This is key to your paper management system – keep your files close by. No one even knows all our papers are stored inside!

By keeping the file by the year, it is super easy to find what we need at tax time…and to know what papers can be shredded. After 7 years, the papers come out and get destroyed, and we can re-use the accordion file again.

I’ve helped many clients get control of their papers with this simple system. If you need help, contact me today and we’ll find a system that works for you.

Favorite Container #5: Car Trash Bag

For May my favorite container is my Mod Mobile car trash bag. Trash bag? Yes, trash bag!

This isn’t any ordinary trash bag – it’s durable yet beautiful. It makes me smile when I look at it. And it’s easy to use and keeps my car clean, as I’ve written about before.

Having easy access to a trash bag – whether it is one like mine or a plastic bag – is essential if you want to keep your car tidy.

And when choosing containers, remember:

• Sometimes a specific container designed to solve a specific issue (= car trash) is best
• Pick containers that you like the look of because you’ll be more likely to actually use them
• Containers should be durable and easy to clean

For more on car organization and to see the trash bag in action, check out my video from This Mom Needs Help!

Favorite Container #4: Clear Boxes for the Closet

It’s that time of year in New England when a beautiful, sunny 65 degree day is then followed by a cold, raw and rainy day. While the weather is unpredictable, warmer temps are on the horizon—and by this point I am feeling done with Winter gear no matter what! 

While getting our closets and the mudroom ready for the change of seasons, I realized how much I rely on clear boxes and canvas bins. So this month for My Favorite Container Series I’ll share how I use clear, plastic boxes for a simple, easy system.

No surprise here: I like clear, plastic boxes because they make what is inside visible, and they are durable. (I’ve written before about how The Container Store clear boxes are my favorite.) 

But the boxes also are integral to how I maintain my closet, and help my daughter with hers. 

• My husband and I store our off-season clothes in fairly large clear, plastic bins. When it’s time to get the summer things out, I can bring down the bins from the attic. Take the warm weather clothes out, and load in the winter things. The bins are Sterilite (115 quart size) and are bigger than I’d like, but it is very easy to just have one bin to look for and deal with!
• In our closets we also store our winter (wool, cashmere) sweaters in clear sweater boxes. When sweater season is over I add some new cedar blocks and snap the lid shut.
• I also use a clear box without a lid to hold my handbags on the top shelf of my closet.
• All my work and dressy shoes are stored in clear boxes.
• My daughteris growing so fast, so I keep a clear bin on the top shelf of her closet. This is a typical old closet with one fairly high shelf at the top—it’s the perfect place for the “Clothes to Grow Into” bin.

The clear bins make it easy to 1) change out my clothes at the change of the seasons; 2) organize  and see my sweaters, shoes, and handbags; and 3) contain my daughter’s clothes that she’ll grow into.

Important Bonus Tip:  If you are doing a seasonal change of clothes in your closet, now is the time to do a quick purge of items you 1) didn’t wear at all in the last 6 months and 2) really don’t love anymore.

And if you need help with setting up a closet system that works for you, please let me know!

Favorite Container #3: Small Boxes for My Desk Drawer

This month my favorite containers are a set of small boxes (sold individually) from Martha Stewart for Staples.

These small boxes solved a big problem: a jumble of junk in my desk drawer.  (Sound familiar??) I have a beautiful home-made desk with a shallow drawer. Typical drawer organizers were too tall, but then I found these boxes and they fit perfectly.

First I bought one box to see if it would fit, and it did! Then I bought some more for the desk, then for the kitchen, then for my daughter’s desk.

I also like that these boxes are wider than cutlery-type holders and other drawer organizers. They can easily hold a certain type of item all together…but they aren’t too big that items get lost.

Watch the video of how I use these boxes at a client’s home from This Mom Needs Help! TV show. 

Favorite Container #1: Kitchen Drawer with Flatware Organizer

My first favorite container is: this drawer in my kitchen. Yes, a drawer! Drawers are often under-utilized containers in our homes. This organized drawer is one of the things I really and truly enjoy about the new kitchen.

I love that this drawer glides effortlessly open and close – unlike our old kitchen which had only two heavy old drawers that would fall out on your foot if you pulled them open too far.

I also love that this drawer is large enough and allows me to see everything at once.  The flatware organizer is a good size, plus it expands on either side so it can fit various drawer sizes. It’s similar to this one from The Container Store.

On the left side of the drawer I added another white container that I had from my old kitchen. It holds the less-used tools, and keeps them from becoming a jumble when the drawer is opened.

If you are re-doing your kitchen, I strongly recommend that you incorporate drawers for storage. From flatware, to food storage containers, to pantry staples and cooking pots, drawers are a great container for the kitchen.

If you have old drawers that don’t work well, get them fixed! We learn to live with a lot but fixing a few of these nagging problems around the home can give you a whole new outlook on your space. And don’t overstuff the drawers with things you don’t use.

For more kitchen storage tips, purchase my 12 Months of Organizing: Kitchen Storage Solutions 2013 Desk Calendar today!

Kitchen Storage Solutions: The 2013 Calendar is Available!

Happy New Year! Need inspiration to organize your kitchen?

Order my 12 Months of Organizing2013 Kitchen Storage Solutions Desk Calendar today.

This year’s calendar is filled with creative solutions for the most important room in your home: the kitchen! Co-created with my cousin, we share 12 of our favorite ideas to help you make your kitchen an efficient space. When your kitchen is simplified and organized, it’s easy to keep it looking good while working hard.

Hurry, supplies are limited. Order yours today!

Organizing Your Household, circa 1910

While my husband was in bed with a cold and my daughter fast asleep, I spent the evenings of a recent weekend watching Downton Abbey late into the night. Yes, I know I’m late to the game. I started watching season 1 of the series and was hooked immediately.

What does Downton Abbey have to do with organizing? In such a vast estate as Lord Grantham’s (OK, he lives in a castle), there has to be a large ensemble of household staff to keep everything in order.

How does the staff remember what they need to buy to keep the household running smoothly? In an episode near the end of season one, I saw a vintage organizing tool. In one of the scenes in the kitchen I noticed something intriguing hanging on the wall behind the cook. It passed out of sight quickly but I re-wound and paused it. It was what I thought I had glimpsed: a Household Wants Indicator.

The Household Wants Indicator is a metal board with a pre-written list of items in alphabetical order: from almonds and ammonia, to vinegar and wines. There are metal flags next to each item that you’d flip over as a reminder to purchase the item. The tag is red on the flipped side so it stands out in the list. It’s the original automated checklist!

And while searching online for photos of a Household Wants Indicator, of course I happened upon this app for the iPad.  I might just have to toss my pre-printed paper grocery list for this cool one.

The Clear Choice for Storage

I’ve written before about how much I like to use The Container Store’s clear shoe boxes.  I don’t usually recommend just one product to clients, but these boxes are sturdy and tend to last.

One of my clients likes to use the shoeboxes for storage all over her house. We’ve used them to contain:

• arts and crafts supplies in her office
• bags of fruits and vegetables in the freezer
• food in the pantry
• tools and sporting goods in the basement

As you see in the photos we’ve also labeled the boxes to help everyone in her family know what goes where.

I’m not sure we’ve used the shoeboxes for actual shoes…yet. This container truly works all over the house.

Product Review: Martha Stewart Office at Staples

While making a quick trip to Staples yesterday to pick up a few supplies for clients, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fun line of organizing products from Martha Stewart. There were journals, labels, binders, desktop accessories and file folders.

My favorites:

• I liked the desk top organizers and accessories. I ended up picking up a few open boxes to bring some organization to my desk drawer – all other desk organizers were too tall to fit my drawer, but not these!
• I love labels and there were all kinds for the kitchen, including larger white board and chalk board labels! I chose a small package of round removable labels. They were made for spice containers, but apparently are dishwasher and freezer safe…so I may use them for my daughter’s containers and water bottles for school.
• Some vertical file folders also caught my eye. Made to go into a magazine file, the folders had tabs at the top. I have a few clients that like to file in a magazine file and these might help bring a bit more order to their papers.

No compensation was received for this post.

Product Review: My Favorite Clear Containers

I’m often asked, “so where do you get your containers? Is there a secret store that only Professional Organizers know about?” No, we don’t have an inside deal on containers, and I buy them at the same places you do…Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and The Container Store.

But when it comes to clear shoe boxes and sweater boxes, I recommend the ones from The Container Store. Why you ask?

1. Clarity: Using a clear container for many things is a given. But The Container Store boxes are much clearer than other brands…and clearer than ones I had from years ago. I noticed this recently as I replaced my older large storage boxes with The Container Store sweater boxes. Using smaller boxes on my high closet shelf now makes it easier for me to bring down just the bin of sweaters I need…instead of pulling down the huge under-the-bed box I had been using.

2. Stackable: The Container Store clear boxes stack easily and kind of snap into place.

3. Sturdy: I like how the box lids snap on tightly, and the plastic is strong and durable.

4. Versatile: While The Container Store boxes are perfect for sweaters, boots and shoes as their names imply…I have also used them at clients homes to organize:

• office supplies
• craft supplies
• kids artwork
• pantry items
• basement shelves
• even food in the freezer!

Of course I received no compensation for this post…I just have come to love this product.

Spring Organizing Project #2: The Medicine Cabinet

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean huge projects. I find that getting a few small—but often used—spaces into shape can have a big impact.

This week was my second quick Spring organizing project: the medicine cabinet. Here’s my process:

• First, I took everything out of the cabinet.
• Then I sorted the items into categories: first aid, basic skin care, eye care, and pain relievers.
• I purged a few items that had expired, and made a quick note of items we needed. (I keep a pad of sticky notes inside the cabinet – this makes it easy to jot down items as they run out.)
• Since the shelves were clear I took the opportunity to clean each one.
• Finally, I replaced the items keeping the categories together.

I was having trouble keeping small items together in the cabinet, so I tried a new product: a medicine cabinet shelf organizer. Usually I like to re-purpose items but in this case the container was made to fit on the narrow shelves. It worked perfectly and corralled all my skin care and nail care products…I might even get another one!

Follow these steps and in just 20 minutes your medicine cabinet can be clean and organized.

For another idea, check out my cousin Janna’s recent post that included how she organized her master bathroom cabinet.

Kids Artwork: From Piles to Posters

Ah, the piles of masterpieces that your child creates! Now give them a proper display with new posters from Juxio.

Simply take photos of your child’s creations and upload them to Juxio. Then arrange in a template, and print or share. What could be easier!

Thanks to Gabby from Claiming Space for finding this new resource.

Clear Store Card Clutter

Just in time for the shopping season: organize those store club cards! It seems like every store gives out a preferred customer card. What to do with them all?

First, pare down the cards. Which ones do you really use when you shop? Keep only the ones you use the most, and lose the rest.

Now you need to find the cards easily. For some people, this means keeping them on their keys. That didn’t work for me, but I found a great product that does: the card wheel by Real Simple.

I’ve been using this little case for months now and it works; it keeps all the cards together and I only have to find the case in my bag. And the best part: the cards can be scanned right through the plastic sleeves so I don’t even have to take them out. The card wheel makes the cards easy to find and easy to use. Try it out, or share your way of clearing the card clutter in our comments.

Change Is Good

Change is good for us, or so the conventional wisdom says, and sometimes it takes our organizing systems a while to catch up.

Case in point: my own personal projects filing system. I used to have an accordion file from The Container Store that I loved. It was a way of taking the stack of pending papers on the corner of my bedroom dresser and getting them into a more organized state. Poof, they were in the file (in labeled sections of course) and I didn’t have to see the stack any more. I was good about going through it periodically and taking out what I was working on, and purging what was outdated.

Now that I’ve created my office on the second floor next to my bedroom, I don’t need to keep papers on the dresser anymore. Plus as I’ve been reading more about feng shui, I want to keep as many papers and projects out of that room. Only restful and peaceful energy allowed.

It’s taken me a while to figure out how to organize my non-business projects in the new office space. The accordion file just didn’t work on my desk. I also tried a tiered in-box, no in-box, and a vertical file sorter. Finally I found a solution: a desktop file.

This is one of my favorite solutions for clients, so I’m not surprised it worked for me. I can see the categories on the hanging folders easily, and the folders provide a home for pending projects and all those little bits of information that tend to accumulate. My categories include, “To Buy,” “Current Projects,” “Health,” and “Financial.”

I think I may have figured out a solution that works for me (at least for now). So don’t despair: if one system doesn’t work, try, try again.

And if you need help, call That’s Neat! Organizing.

Easy Labels for a Child’s Dresser

To help young kids learn how to put their clothes away, I tell my clients to label the dresser drawers with a word and picture.

Now the work is done for you! I just read about these great dresser knobs in the August edition of Parenting: School Years magazine. I love the idea that the picture is right on the knob – it’s cute and a helpful label all in one, and there are versions for boys and for girls. Check them out from Olive Kids.

Happy Anniversary to One of My Favorite Organizing Tools

30 years ago this month, 3M unveiled one of my most-used and beloved organizing tools: the Post-it Note! Here are 3 of my favorite ways to use Post-it Notes:

• For my daily to do list: no more than 3-5 items!
• For my list of errands…the note pads sit on my desk so I can jot down errands as I think of them, then the note moves to the door, then sticks in my car or my bag as a reminder
• As temporary labels: when organizing drawers or bins for myself or a client, I use the notes as temporary labels; once I know the system works, I can do a more permanent label

Notice that I didn’t say I stick them all over my computer screen! One note might be OK, but if you have them circling your screen you need a better system.

It’s hard to believe this little invention has been around for three decades. For Post-it Note history and fun facts, including the marketing pilot called the Boise Blitz, check out the 3M website.

Note: Post-it brand notes are a registered trademark of 3M Corporation.

Make a Resolution to Back Up Your Data in 2010!

I had a really fun experience while visiting my mom over the holidays: we pulled out a number of old photo albums and I was able to show my daughter what Christmas was like when I was a little girl. As I was uploading my new holiday photos onto my computer, I wondered how she would be able to do this with her children someday. 

I love my digital camera and take a lot more pictures than I used to.  However, all of this convenience comes with some responsibility: you now need to make sure none of these memories are lost. I was reminded of the importance of this when my niece recently lost all of the photos from her first trip to Paris when the hard drive she had stored them on failed. Sadly, she did not have them backed up on any other device, so they were gone for good. In order to make sure your pictures (and other data) are safe and sound, you need a plan for data backup and recovery.

So in 2010, resolve to back up! To get started, here’s a guest post from Ian, my favorite “tech guy” (and husband).

The first step in creating a backup plan is making sure that it is painless. The more difficult it is to back up your data, the less likely you're going to do it consistently. Fortunately, there are many solutions available such as Time Machine if you have a Macintosh, or a Windows Home Server if you are backing up multiple Windows systems at home. Programs like these will automatically copy your data to another storage device (typically, another hard drive) automatically every night. They are pretty fool proof and you will be guarded against the possibility that the hard drive on your main system fails.

If you're doing something like this already, congratulations! You're doing much more than most, and this is a great first step towards guarding your digital life.  However, have you considered what would happen to your data in the event of a catastrophic event, such as a fire or a robbery?  Your photo albums aren't attractive items for thieves, but your laptop is. In our house, we've taken an additional step and have purchased an off-site backup service through a company named Mozy. For $4.95 per month, Mozy makes a complete backup of a single system's data every night while you're sleeping. Mozy also gives you the ability to recover any of the last 30 days worth of backups, so if you realize you deleted a file accidentally in the last month, you have the ability to recover it. Mozy also has a "try it before you buy it" policy, you can sign up for a free 2GB account to make sure you're comfortable with the service before trusting them with your backup. There are many other comparable services available, here is a link to a review of online storage services if you want to look at the other options available.

My backup plan really gives me piece of mind that I will be able to pass on my digital memories to my daughter. This year, resolve to back up your memories, and you’ll be able to enjoy them for years to come!

Ian Goodsell is a Senior Software Engineer by day, and tech guy for That’s Neat! Organizing by night. Check out his ramblings about technology and life at http://blog.iangoodsell.com/.