Creative Organizing

organizing business cards

(alternative blog title: proof I shop places other than Target)

If this isn't your first stop at this blog...you may have noticed that I enjoy organizing things in somewhat non-traditional ways, with a creative touch whenever possible. Today's post combines lots of my favorite organizing things (and there aren't even buckets involved!)

Besides my love of buckets, I also love old, wooden boxes. So imagine my thrill last summer while in Seattle I happen upon this beauty:

I also happen to love the color red, so I'm not sure it could get better than this. Here's a peek at the inside of her:

Even though this box is designed to hold 3X5 cards...I decided she could be put to use to solve my business card dilemma. I have been collecting cards for years and never found the perfect organizing system for them. My rational, organizer mind said "Go electronic! It's so much more efficient." But my creative organizer mind said to do this:

"Make index dividers using your favorite card-stock, and use the cool, red box who does not deserve to sit idle on a shelf any longer." And so I did.

So here's the deal. This system isn't for everyone, by any stretch of the imagination. But for me, it became quite clear after years of not entering all my business cards into Outlook or some other electronic system...that electronic was simply not for me (even though that rational organizer kept telling me it was a better way to go...the creative and tactile side of me wasn't biting.)

My personal belief is that the best organizing systems are the ones that work for you and how you think...and the ones that make you happy. An old, red wooden box with index cards made using my favorite scrapbook paper in the world...makes me happy! So you don't have to use technology if technology doesn't work best for you. PDA's, information managers, and all the other electronic tools are terrific for people who think this way, and for people who don't develop a personal attachment to business cards. I love a pretty business card and I also remember people by their business cards. It's a visual queue I use to remember who someone is, where I met them, and when I met them.

Once I decided on the red box as the storage solution, I needed to figure out how to sort or organize my cards. Had a client posed this question of me about their business cards, I could have easily rattled off a number of suggestions. But...since this was my own personal organizing dilemma, I was riddled with the feeling that I should already know what to do. "It shouldn't be so hard, Aby," a little voice kept telling me.

But it was.

I was already feeling guilty ;) for not being more hip from a technology standpoint. Couple this with the knowledge that for the past several years the cards had been unsorted in a small (but very cute) basket where the cards were next to impossible to find when needed...well I was feeling a bit paralyzed.

So, I did what anyone in my position would do: I emailed a professional organizer.

Janine came to my rescue, helping me put my indecision to an end. The final sorting system: the cards are sorted by how I think of them! (Brilliant!) I have categories such as "scrap friends" for people I meet at scrapbook trade shows or through other scrapbook events. There's one called "BNI / Chamber" where I store all the cards for people I met through those organizations. There's one called "NAPO '08" where I store cards from people I met at this year's convention. Behind each divider the cards aren't in any particular order...which will work fine for me. This will give me a great excuse to sift through the cards when I go looking for one...so I get to revisit all those wonderful cards again.

The truth is...the people I contact on a regular basis are in Outlook...so I can quickly get my hands on their info. But my cute red box will make a nice addition to my office and allow me to hold onto the physical business cards for when I want or need a memory jog about that one lady who I met at the scrapbook show that has a great organization for donating used scrapbook supplies...

So where do you weigh in on the business card organizing dilemma? Alphabetical or by category? Paper or electronic? And if electronic...do you throw the cards away once they're entered? Red wooden boxes or blue? You know I'd love to hear from you!

seasonal storage solutions

This is a great time of year to let your creative organizing juices flow as you browse through the outdoor summer-ware / party-ware isle at your favorite local retailer. (Like Target for example.) You might just stumble upon a serving tray like this one:

and decide it's perfect for corralling scrapbooking and other craft gear for an evening of crafting (or button sorting) in front of the T.V., like this:

Or you might come across a silverware caddy (that closely resembles a bucket making it almost irresistible) like this one from Kohl's:

and decide it'd be perfect for corralling markers, colored pencils, scissors, paint brushes, a bottle of decoupage, sanding blocks, and other crafting essentials. (Or you might, like me, get an email from Missy with the above photo attached giving you a head's up about this darling caddy from Kohl's. Thank you, Missy, and the rest of you who think of me when you're out and about and happen upon buckets.)

So what if you don't scrapbook or craft? Are these finds useless for you? No siree. These organizing gems are terrific, even when used for their originally intended purpose.

We love to eat on the deck this time of year (in the rare event it isn't raining!) and a serving tray and silverware caddy makes it a much simpler and orderly undertaking. Load up the caddy with silverware, napkins, salt, pepper, or ketchup and mustard...and you'll save yourself many-a-step on the way to your outdoor eating adventure.

So keep your eyes open for some fun and colorful seasonal finds that will help you organize creatively (or enjoy a meal outside.) Either way, how can you go wrong?

OK...it's your turn. Have you found any creative organizing gems lately? You know I'd love to hear...

mark your calendars...

and plan to tune into the Organizing Playground Radio Show next Tuesday, May 13th from 12-1 PM Eastern time. I will be one of the guests and guess what I get to do? I get to talk about two of my favorite things:  organizing and scrapbooking! So...if you like these things, too, be sure to tune in! You can listen live or via pod-cast. (If you go to the link above you can find out all the details.)

The Organizing Playground is all about having fun with organizing. (Right up my alley, wouldn't you say?) It's hosted by Professional Organizers Allison Carter and Sara Fisher. I'm super excited and hope you'll listen in! Thank you, Allison for the chance to chat with you next week on your show!

special offer for blog readers only!

UPDATED: special offer ended Monday, May 5, 2008 at midnight. Thanks to everyone who participated in the sale...maybe we'll do it again sometime!

In honor of National Scrapbook Day (which happens to be tomorrow) and to say thank you to all you fantastic blog readers, we're offering a blog reader only special! Now through Monday at midnight get half-off the happy scrapper!

If you don't have plans yet for National Scrapbook Day, why not spend it curled up with a good book that will help you get more organized for scrapbooking? Just think, by the end of the weekend you, too, could be a happy scrapper!

To get "the happy scrapper" for half off enter coupon code "HS50" at check out. In just minutes...you'll have the happy scrapper in your hot little hands!

But hurry...this insanely insane offer will end at midnight central time (US) on Monday!

To Garage Sale or Not to Garage Sale?

That is the question. Or at least that's one of the questions I received recently after my garage organizing post. Here's the question:

“I have a question about garages, and I hope you can help - I'm at my wit's end. LOL.  My husband and I moved into our condo in October, and needless to say, we have more stuff than room. We've been weeding out ruthlessly and now our garage is getting taken over by "garage sale" boxes. We've planned a sale for June.... I was wondering, do you ever advise your clients to just donate stuff rather than messing with a sale? We had a sale last year and made $400, but it was a ton of work. I'm getting so frustrated every time I open the garage door and see all the boxes, plus, the garage has a whole bunch of boxes that haven't even been opened.  Like Peter Walsh's book...it's all too much!!! I'm thinking about ditching the boxes (and the guilt), but I'm having second thoughts. Ever run into this before?”

What a timely question! Around here, garage sale season is just starting up again. I saw several signs this weekend for the first round of garage sale frenzy. So here’s where I weigh in on garage sales. First, here's the advice I gave in last month's newsletter:

If you're deep in the midst of spring cleaning, a.k.a. doing the spring fling, you may be tempted to have a garage sale to make a few extra dollars off those items you no longer use, need or love. I say, hats off to you for lightening your load, and then, encourage you to draw a line in the sand in terms of your sale. Here's what the line looks like: you set a date, you conduct your sale on that date, you make a few dollars, and then, anything and everything that didn't go in the sale gets donated and leaves your premises for good!

While a sale can be a huge motivator for getting rid of things you no longer use, need, or love, be careful not to let the lure of the sale get in the way of your organizing progress. You go through the tough job of deciding to part with your belongings...only to end with them stuck in your midst until the day of the sale. And if that sale is some arbitrary day someday in the future...you've done the work without a benefit any time in the foreseeable future. By drawing a line in the sand and setting a date for your sale, you have the best of both worlds. You have a non-negotiable deadline for getting it all done, which can be a huge motivator for going through your home with a fine tooth comb. Plus, you have a bright light at the end of the tunnel...that moment in time when your unwanted items are no longer in your midst.

For myself and the clients I work with one on one, I usually don’t recommend having a sale. I make continual runs to Goodwill throughout the year, get receipts for my donations and keep track of what I donate so I can get a tax break. I use a free, on-line service called "It's Deductible" to keep track of what I’m donating. While the process of entering all my donations on-line takes time, it’s nothing compared to the effort of holding a garage sale. I’ve had two garage sales in my life…and made very little money for a whole lot of time and effort. From sorting to staging to advertising to pricing to sitting in my garage for eight hours! I just didn’t find it to be worth it…but I have to be fair and point out that I really do get rid of things all the time. So my garage sale was quite puny and not super exciting to would-be bargain hunters. Which is another thing...the people who come to garage sales want deals!   

So, to sum up an answer for my frustrated reader, you really have to balance your time and effort with the anticipated payoff of a sale. It’s really a personal choice. If stuff lingering in your garage is driving you nuts, you could consider moving up the sale date to early May instead of waiting until June. Simply sell what you have ready by that point in time, and donate the rest for a tax write-off. This could be the best of both worlds for you.

OK readers, where do you weigh-in on garage sales? Do you love ‘em or hate ‘em? Do you have garage sales to offload your stuff? Do you make good money? I’d love to hear your ideas for holding a *profitable* garage sale…or any good excuses you can think of to skip it altogether. ;) Can’t wait to your thoughts on this juicy organizing topic.

happy birthday to...

Jay!

Yes, today is Jay's birthday! Happy birthday sweetie (because I know at some point you'll read this...right?)

So if you don't know Jay...well, he is my husband, the amazing father to our two children, my business partner, the guy who holds down the fort while I'm out of town---both in terms of keeping our family going and in terms of keeping the business going. He is the brain child behind a really fun and exciting "new thing" we're adding to our website. (More on that soon!)

Jay is truly amazing and by no stretch of the imagination does he get the credit he deserves for all of his contributions to simplify 101, our family, and to the overall happiness of my life.

So...if you know Jay because he's your friend or you've meet him through our business and now he's your friend then will you help me surprise him? (Perhaps you bought something from our store and were happy with the service or packaging which was all Jay, by the way. He won't let me ship because I'm not "properly trained.") He's on a field trip right now with our daughter...and I would love to have him come home to an in-box filled with birthday wishes. If you know his email address would you send him a birthday wish? Or if you don't know his email address would you post him a birthday wish right here in the comments? Thank you!!

Jay didn't want a party...so this will be like a virtual birthday party (free from goodie bags which is a very good kind of party ;) and a fun little surprise for him.)

OK...back to the garage article! Have a great day. :)

the organized garage

If I'm being honest...the thought of organizing the garage (my own) doesn't make my heart sing, unless of course, two conditions are met:

condition #1: the weather is great. If it's a beautiful day, sunny and warmish with a nice breeze, then not only do I get to do one of my favorite things in the world (organize) I get to do it in the midst of a beautiful day. That my friends, is a good day.

condition #2:  there are buckets involved. Yep, you knew I'd work in the buckets, somehow, someway! It always comes back to the buckets, doesn't it? So here are the latest additions to my bucket list:

sidewalk chalk

gardening gloves

Balls (hey, who mixed that tennis ball in with the baseballs?)

sports "equipment" like rackets, golf "clubs" and bug nets

See, even the garage is more fun with buckets!

If your garage is in need of an organizational do-over, I'll be sharing even more garage organizing ideas (and it won't just be about buckets!) in my upcoming newsletter. Sign up here to be added to my list (newsletter list...not bucket list) and get in on all the garage organizing fun.

I will say this. While my garage is truly not at the top of my list of all time favorite spaces to organize in my home (scrapbook space anyone?) I have found my freshly organized garage to be a surprising source of happiness. ;)

the *real* bucket list

So when I did my bucket list post last week...I had not yet seen the movie "The Bucket List". I had heard of it but hadn't yet watched it.

Last night...I did.

Oh my heavens, have you seen it? I realize I'm not on the cutting edge of movie watching or recommending...but if you haven't seen it and you're up for a great movie, add this to the top of your list (movie's to watch list, that is.)

Any movie that reminds us to "find the joy in your life"—well that's my kind of movie.

Here's a trailer from YouTube. (Still "showing off" my new YouTube skills...hee hee.)

So how about you...have you seen the movie? Do you have a bucket list? Are you finding the joy in your life?

Here's to finding the joy in life! Have a happy Sunday!

my world rocked

And I mean that literally. Last night at 4:30ish AM, we had an earthquake! An earthquake.

I'm sure you've heard by now...but I just have to share anyway because it was the craziest thing to happen to me in a long time. Seriously. We're laying there sound a sleep when suddenly we're wide awake...and things are rattling..and the bed is shaking...and the dresser is clattering...and we're looking at each other like "what in the heck is going on?" Both kids woke up and came running into our room. The world shook enough to wake my entire family from the depths of sleep. It was crazy. So we decided that, yes, indeed it was an earthquake, no one was hurt, and so all four of us went back to bed (together in the same bed...because that's what you do after the world rocks.)

We were so happy that this earthquake happened while we were safe at home and not while crossing the Mississippi River via a bridge. (Jay said that out loud. I thought it but kept it to myself since I was going to have to do that very thing about four hours later. Drove real fast over that bridge...and I'm back home now. Whew.)

Wow...really makes me want to actually get prepared for an emergency instead of just thinking about what a good idea it would be. Guess I'll add that to my to do list.

In the category of other things that have rocked my world lately. Here's another one. (World rocking in a completely different kind of way...but I seriously thought this was just so fun.) Hat's off the the NAPO LA Chapter for putting together such a wonderful event for the organizing industry. It's a cause near and dear to my heart...so I just loved this! Hope you enjoy it, too.

It's Friday. It's rainy. The world has stopped quaking. (And I figured out how to put a YouTube video on my blog!) I'm looking ahead to a weekend of soccer, basketball, baseball, and spring organizing. Here's wishing you a happy weekend filled with the things you love and time spent on nothing by solid ground. ;)

the bucket list

After starting a second round of bucket frenzy, I got a few requests for ideas on using these fine (and fun) vessels. So, I thought I'd make my very own "bucket list". ;) This (scarily enough when you see the list) is how I am at this very moment, in my home, using buckets to organize stuff. Ready? OK, here's my bucket list:

1. Kid's art supplies. This handy little bucket usually sits on a shelf of the work desk in my office / scrapbook room (and can be seen on page 95 of my book, making this my most famous bucket.)

And here are some less famous crafting buckets:

2. Bath supplies.

3. Cleaning supplies.

The cleaning supplies bucket is way up on the top right corner of the photo. This was my very first bucket, by the way, because I know you are wondering how this bucket-frenzy started. I bought this lovely, yellow bucket from Martha Stewart way back when she used to sell things through her magazine (like before the era of on-line shopping. Yep...this bucket issue of mine runs long and deep.) This yellow beauty was a ridiculous splurge...like $30 or more (before shipping...and that rascal is heavy.) But it just goes to show...when you buy something you really, really love...you'll love it for a very long time. (It might show some other things, too, but lets not go there right now. It's late.)

4. Remote controls and video game controllers.

(Bucket above is from Good Pails to Have.)

5. Matches.

For lighting candles, not cigarettes...just in case you were wondering.

6. Note pads.

7. Craft punches.

8. Kitchen stuff...like snacks and seasoning mix envelopes.

9. Score-keeping supplies (in the game cabinet.)

10. Cough drops.

11. Pens and pencils. I also have a little bucket of pens and pencils that sits on top of the fridge. I'm guessing at this point...you can use your imagination on what that looks like.

12. Comings and goings bucket. This bucket sits on a shelf right by the back door. It holds things we might want to grab on our way out...like sunscreen and sunglasses in the summer (when the sun actually shines around here.) Right now, it's loaded up with hand-sanitizer and tissues.

OK...I have to stop hunting for buckets around my house now. I'm starting to think I have a sickness. ;)

greetings from Reno

Whew...so much going on here lately! I think I've gotten all the mileage I can get out of that last bucket post...so it's time I stopped in and said hello. Glad to see so many of you found the buckets, and as soon as I get back from Reno, I'll post with some more ideas on what to use them for. And while we're on the subject of Target, did any of you see the little red wire baskets? Got three of those...haven't a clue what I'll use them for but at $3 total investment, it was a must-have purchase.

So I'm at Reno...at the Organizing Convention. Very exciting and fun stuff. Will share more as the days go by. My friend Janine has a nice little account of the show and some of the highlights. (Tell her hi if you stop by her blog.)

OK...one last thing. Next Friday, I will be doing a program called Organizing Basics 101 at St. John's Mercy Women's Center in St. Louis. If you're in the St. Louis area, come join me for this fun and informative talk. If you can make it, I would LOVE to see you! Learn more (and sign up!) here.

OK...gotta' run. It's never a solid plan to show up late at a convention full of organizers...hard to find a good seat. ;) Have a great day!

the buckets are back!

That's right...Target has galvanized goodness in the Dollar Spot once again. The little buckets are similar to these and these. (Not exactly the same...but still oh-so galvanized and good.) So...get 'em while the gettin' is good!

celebrate Stacy

Did you know that it's the first ever Stacy Julian Appreciation Week? It's a chance to celebrate someone who has had a tremendous impact on the scrapbooking industry, and more importantly, on the lives of the people who make up or participate in that industry.

I for one, wouldn't be a scrapbooker today, were it not for Stacy and the empowering message of Simple Scrapbooks magazine and her book, Simple Scrapbooks. And...if I weren't a scrapbooker today...well, life on so many levels would be very different.

I wouldn't be as aware. I wouldn't notice the little things that happen in my life—those little things that make life so rich. I wouldn't take pictures of Easter Eggs in snow banks and I wouldn't take the time to write down the precious things my kid's say. I wouldn't have met Wendy and we wouldn't have collaborated to create this. Life...on so many levels would not be as rich were it not for scrapbooking.

So, what does my being a scrapbooker today have to do with Stacy? Well...I summed it up in the happy scrapper as follows:

I got bit by the scrapbook bug when my son was just a few months old. Looking back, I realize I had no idea what I was getting into – both in terms of motherhood and in terms of scrapbooking. I literally bit off more than I could chew. A perfectionist at heart, I loved the idea of getting all my photos organized and documenting all the details of each and every event in my tiny new baby’s life.

I plunged in head first, acquiring albums, sheet protectors, markers, a paper trimmer, photo splits, card-stock, rubber stamps, ink, punches, decorative scissors, die cuts and page toppers. But I didn’t stop there. I purchased an inventory of stickers for every possible event my child could ever encounter—from baking chocolate chip cookies to learning how to use the potty. (And I was buying these things before my sweet baby had teeth to eat cookies, let alone knowledge that a potty even existed.) I went so far as making my family wear matching outfits for Fourth of July fireworks photos. While it is not unheard of to match your family’s attire for a great photo op, I found that some events in my life simply needed to happen by chance, instead of being staged. My scrapbook supplies were dictating the way life should be, instead of providing a means for documenting and celebrating the way life truly was.

Somewhere between the 1000th diaper and my Xyron sticker maker purchase, I was overcome with exhaustion. I suddenly hated stickers (and dirty diapers) and I thought I’d lose my mind if I saw another un-scrapbooked photo. I felt like a failure when I’d look through scrapbook magazines and see other moms keeping it all together; some even had time to incorporate needlework on their pages. I thought hard before taking each picture, knowing I’d either have to DO something with it or add it to my backlog of photos and unrealistic expectations about what was possible and desirable in my life.

I’m here to tell you, some people handle all of this—babies, photos, scrapbooks, matching outfits, and keeping their life running smoothly—with style and grace. I, on the other hand, was completely blown away by the responsibilities of parenthood, let alone all the self-doubt brought on by my scrapbook hobby.

So I retreated to my comfort zone … the place I go when life gets out of control:  organizing. I bought more scrapbook supplies. I bought containers to organize my scrapbook supplies. I labeled the containers to identify my scrapbook supplies. And life was good.

My scrapbooks?  Not so good. Every day I got farther and farther behind. Every day, my backlog grew right along with my stress level. When my daughter arrived, my son was three months old (in his scrapbook). In real life: age two. But it didn’t stop there. By the time my son turned six, he was the ripe old age of one in his scrapbooks. My daughter … well let’s just say I had lots of really cute (and very organized) supplies and photos to create her albums, and not a single photo scrapbooked.

Bottom line, folks … I was really missing the point. This hobby was stressing me out. As soon as I started calculating how far behind I was (both in terms of boxes of un-scrapped photos and in terms of years), I became an unhappy scrapper. I needed a simpler solution. I needed a plan.

Two things happened to pull me out of the scrapbook chaos. First, my husband talked me into a digital camera. My photos were now safe, organized and perfectly happy stored electronically. I had no visual reminders of my growing backlog. And as they say, ignorance is bliss.

The second thing that happened was a magazine called Simple Scrapbooks. The concept of this magazine was revolutionary for me. I learned that it was OK to scrapbook only my most meaningful photos. I didn’t have to capture every single event (and non-event) of my children’s lives to pay tribute to them and their significance to me. And I didn’t have to put my photos into albums in chronological order—instead I could create theme scrapbooks and I was free to put some photos in traditional photo albums. I could even stray from 12 x 12 albums if I wanted to. This was a great start … a safety net for me … a chance to dive back in.

And dive back in I did. All I can say is thank you, Stacy, for making it not only possible but fun to scrapbook. Gone is the sense of obligation. Gone is the sense that scrapbooking can only be done one way and in one order. Thank you, Stacy.

I have to wonder how many scrapbookers on this planet Stacy has saved. I'm certain I'm not alone. Have you been inspired by Stacy? Has Stacy empowered you to scrapbook in way that is better for you, more fun, more doable, more something? If so, hop on over to the Simple Scrapbooks blog and share your story. There are all sorts of fun ways to participate in this week and say thanks to Stacy.

I'm dreaming of a white Easter...

...oh, wait, that wasn't a dream.

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Holiday weekend! ;)

when organizing and scrapbooking collide

Sometimes it's hard to be both...an organizer and a scrapbooker...like when you come across products like these from October Afternoon. Seriously, these products are so stinkin' cute that the rational brain of the organizer goes by the wayside. Wendy had a bunch of these products in her space while we were taping...and it got almost funny. Every single time I would see something that was to-die-for-cute, I'd look at who made it, and it was (you guessed it) October Afternoon. Geesh...where did this company come from? (And how can I get my hands on some of it...or better yet all of it.) ;)