Are You An Invisible Hoarder?

Recently, Jennifer commented on my Idea File blog post about the notion of a "Invisible Hoarder." 

She said...I use Evernote and my Iphone to capture images of articles that I want to keep. Then I don't even have the paper around, can get rid of the magazine and have access to my saved ideas on my phone or computer. That way, I can be a high functioning, invisible hoarder without having to rent extra space or make my family live in tents on the lawn (I jest but it came close--it was the magazines or them) Evernote is a great capture and idea storage tool.

I love that term.  While I actually think Jennifer is very practical in her methodology, it made me realize this fact about myself:  While I am a purger and hate hanging onto physical things at home, I am very much a hoarder at work with electronic documents.  I have things saved 8 years back.  And, the biggest issue is that I don't know how to easily find them.  And, a lot of them are useless, thus adding to the clutter and complication in finding things.

Many times, Erin or Jim will ask me for a file or PowerPoint and I know I have it, but it can take me 10-15 minutes to locate it, wading through folders and files on my laptop.

Does anyone else qualify as an Invisible Hoarder?  Anyone have any solutions for us IDs??

 

Q&A with Theresa Finnigin - Professional Organizer

Theresa Finnigin, Professional Organizer - St. Louis, MO/Southwest Illinois - www.readyaimorganize.com

What inspired you to become an organizer?
As a child I was never the daughter my mom had to tell “clean your room.”  I looked forward to spring break not because I got a week off school but because my mom and I would spend a week spring cleaning the house.  By the time college came around my friends joked I should “make file folders for a living.” 

I was in high school when I read an article in the local paper about a professional organizer.  I told my mom, “this is what I want to do.”  After working for several years in corporate marketing and earning my MBA, I am finally doing what I love! 

What is the most common organizing project you’re hired to do?
Paper, paper, paper!  By far the majority of the calls I get from potential clients is paper clutter.  Sometimes it’s setting up a system to process the mail and pay the bills and sometimes it is an office where you can barely open the door because the floor is covered in paper.  I’ve been in home offices where I’ve seen receipts older than me!

What is the most common organizing challenge people have?
Time management is a common organizing challenge.  Often a client sees their kitchen is disorganized and they think it is the kitchen but more likely it is how the individual uses their time that has resulted in a disorganized kitchen.  Change your outlook from “I didn’t have time” to “I didn’t make time”.  Take responsibility for your time!

If you had to pick ‘your’ biggest organizing challenge, what would it be?
Like many people, it is hard for me to accept change.  As a military spouse, we move frequently so a new house always brings new organizational challenges.  Sometimes we move into smaller homes with minimal closets and sometimes we have lots of large closets.  Regardless of the situation, I can’t always store things where I want to or where I did in the old house due to space and that’s when I get to be creative.  The change is exciting, fun and challenging!

What one tips would you give to people who are trying to get organized?
I can’t choose one – too many tips came rushing through my mind!  Organizing should not hurt.  If something feels forced then it’s probably not right.  Put things where you use them and where they fit.  I keep my table cloths in a spare bedroom closet.  I don’t use table cloths often and I had extra space in the closet. 

One more…you have to be ready to get organized.  If you don’t really want to get organized then the new organizing solutions you’re putting into place won’t last long.  My company name, Ready Aim Organize, says it all.  You have to be ready, you have to aim (develop a plan) and then you can organize! 

How can potential clients get in touch with you?
Potential clients can reach me at my website or via e-mail, phone, mail, facebook, or twitter!

Web: www.readyaimorganize.com
Email: theresa@readyaimorganize.com
Phone: 707-RAO 2 DAY (707-726-2329)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/readyaimorganize
Twitter: www.twitter.com/readyaimorganiz

Ready Aim Organize
P.O. Box 255
Mascoutah, IL 62258

Papers Everywhere

On my profile, I list "my desk" as my most challenging area to keep organized.  Here at work, we recently switched how we pay and process invoices, adding many steps in the process.  I realized this was making me even more disorganized.

One day, I got frustrated, and I decided it was time for a system. Using my Dymo Label manager, I documented all of the 'steps' in the process - "received", "submitted in system / awaiting PO", "awaiting confirmation" and "recorded".

I thumb-tacked folders to the side of my cubicle, thus creating a vertical "flow" for these papers to move through the system and remind me where each one stands and which ones need attention.

How do you organize your papers in your office ?

Shoe & Ski Lover meets 500 sq ft space.

Katy is a friend of ours at Rubbermaid.  She was very stressed out about her small apartment (less than 500 square feet) and a lack of storage.  

To make matters worse, she had a very tiny clothing closet, which barely fit her clothes, much less her  shoes or her sporting equipment.  She had been trying to maintain a system in the living room which consisted of racks and just having the items laid on the fireplace.

 

However, as the shoes started to "grow" (Katy admits to a strong shopping addiction) and the equipment solution limited space and was unsafe, she realized a solution was imperative.

Here's what I like about Katy's thought process:
She defined the issue and what was important to her.  A priority to her was keeping all of her equipment which she enjoys.   She knew that there would be no room for future purchases. 

She selected Rubbermaid FastTrack.  This system is traditionally used in the garage, but we see that a number of people re-purpose it (including the guys in the office, blogger Shannon, and myself in my utility closets).

Below is the result:

Katy comments, "This isn’t a closet system, but I wouldn’t have a closet to put it in
anyway! This way I can grab what I need and go, without worrying I am going to trip over my skis and break my ankle.” - Katy

I love her attitude and the fact she embraced the notion, "It's your life.  Organize it your way."

Nice job, Katy!

Organizing My Scrapbooking Supplies

In my new apartment, I have a nice little nook of a desk that I decided to turn into my scrapbooking space!

Since I moved in, my scrapbooking supplies have been in a Rubbermaid bin and my traveling case. To be honest, I just threw everything in there when I moved and my supplies have never been extremely organized anyway. I kept telling myself that I would organize them this weekend and then the next weekend and then the next...but never got around to it.

Knowing I would need accountability, I took the plunge and tweeted about the project on Twitter. @MommyBrain (aka Monica) and @ReadyAimOrganize (aka Theresa) responded saying they wanted to see the results. This gave me accountability and I KNEW I would have to complete the project.

So, I started by taking EVERYTHING out and grouping items together. All my cutting tools, all my adhesives, all my paper, all my stickers, all my inspiration books, etc.

I then thought about how I scrapbook. The items I use the most are my cutting tools and adhesives. Plus these tools never change even if I change projects. Thus, they received prime location on the shelf in my little nook.

My paper is the next item that I usually grab. I decided to organize it in a file folder holder I have and a clear Clever Store container. The file folder is for individual sheets of paper while the Clever Store holds paper packs where the paper all goes together and matches. I always look at the paper packs first because they make it easy to match; then I move to individual sheets if I cannot find something I like. Thus the separation in my organization. I placed these on the corner of the bookshelf closest to the nook.

I took a suggestion Lauren gave me and organized the projects I was working on into separate piles (graduation album, tailgating album, friend's wedding album) and placed them in separate totes so I could grab them easily depending on what I wanted to work on at the moment.

That pretty much took up the time I had. I still need to find a way to organize and store my stickers and embellishments. I also need to find a good solution for organizing cutting shapes. At the moment they are taking up prime real estate sitting on my desk. I need some way to hang them (command hooks didn't work well). However, that can come later!

What are some tips you have for organizing crafts? Have you ever needed some accountability for finishing an organizational project?

What NOT to Recycle

I never knew how much of a problem it would be if I put the wrong thing in my recycling bin.  I always figured, "hey, I'll test it out.  If the recycling guys pick it up, then I can recycle it.  If they don't take it, then I'll know for next time."  Well...I guess that's the wrong approach.  Check out this article from Earth911.  It gives great suggestions for what you shouldn't be putting in your recycling bin.  Thought I'd pass this one along!

Earth 911 - What NOT to Put in the Bin

This photo was taken by Scott Ableman

Get Hooked UP!

I love hooks A while back, I did a post about saving time in the morning, one of the comments mentioned using a hook on the back of her door... She uses it as a valet hook (the name and function of which, I just find fascinating) - staging her outfits on it, to help her get fabulously and quickly dressed in the morning. Smart, right?

So that got me thinking : Hooks! They're a simple, effective way to get stuff off the floor or even create a place for something to go. They're functional, and they can pretty much go anywhere. I love 3M's new hooks! I needed a place for my purse (instead of leaving it piled on a chair near our back door) to hang when I came home everyday. Our wall space is tight, so I decided to throw one of these babies on the side of our bookshelves.  Voila! Instant organization, and now I have a place to put my purse everyday when I get home.
 

 
One of our other problems with our most used entrance to our house is jackets/scarves/etc. There was no real place to put them (besides that chair by the back door). Our coat closet is near the front door, so it seems like a trek to put it away. Again, we didn't have much wall space, but we found a cool coat rack and decided to hang it vertically. It gave us a place to hang our coats (til they could make it into the coat closet), didn't take up much space, and works perfectly for our needs.


 
 
So buy some hooks, stick or screw them into place, and get to solving your own organization problems and making a place for everything (so eventually, everything will be in its place!). 

Carafe Helps Summer Entertaining

One of my favorite Rubbermaid products for the Summer is our new beverage carafe.  It has graduation marks on the side for measuring and a nice dual pour spout.  I used a pair for a recent cookout and found them really helpful.  I also like that they are clear so they add a little color to the table.

Organize your Office Space

So, they say that an organized workspace is a more efficient workspace. Being a designer, I used to kind of revel in my chaos. Now, however, working mostly at a desk AND at Rubbermaid made me reevaluate the error of my ways. There are lots of other smarties out there that break down the steps to organizing something big and intimidating, like your desk or workspace. Here's one I liked though. Its broken down in these steps:
 
1. Clear off your desk and empty those drawers!
2. Sort through you office supplies. Recycle or give away what you have too many of, organized the what you actually NEED in drawer organizers, lending a bit of order to your stuffs!
3. Sort through your paper clutter. This one is the hardest for me... I seem to have SO MUCH paper! Invest in (or use one that you might already have) a good shredder. At work, they take care of all that stuff, but at home, I use mine all the time to cut down on paper waste. Here on this project, I ended up dumping a bunch of papers in the recycle bin. (less stuff to file :)
4. File old papers and records. This is your chance to update your filing system, reorganize the files that you don't use (put those puppies in the back), while ones you need to access all the time (in the front). Simple thing, but it really impacts your day. Once you have a good filing system, its way easier to keep up with it too. (another fun tip: some gals I know here color coordinate their filing! Green for bills, etc. Since its not just labeled, but colored, it makes it LOOK nicer, which can sometimes make you happier, which yields to keeping up with it better!)

Pretty simple stuff, but I got to go from this:
 
 

To this:

(AND, if you're looking for help with a HOME office, check out Brian's post ...its a good one!)
 
  
 
 

Keeping an Idea File vs. Tons of Magazines

I recently came across a great blog post on reducing magazine clutter in your home by @mabelhood. She makes the point that we always have good intentions for going back and referencing articles, recipes, and other tips but seldom do.  The magazines then lead to clutter.

She suggested keeping binders with the tips.  I was so excited that someone else did this as well!   I keep binders for tips from magazines including: hosting ideas, decorating inspirations, and exercise tips.  I have found it to be a good solution for keeping the idea but not the entire magazine.

I know other people who keep them in folders, or in accordian notebooks too.

Does anyone else do this and what tool do you use?