INDEPENDENCE From Clutter

Happy Independence Day!!!

As we plan to celebrate Independence Day this July I wanted to remind us how to have "independence" from clutter. First, remember that clutter is delayed decisions. Look around at the piles in your home, on your counter, stashed in your closet or basement. Look at your inbox and see the piles of emails. Most piles are because you (or someone in your home) either haven't had time to put them away OR you delayed to make a decision on what to do with it.

The first step in improving clutter build up is to be aware of it. Then, when you are tempted to put something down before making a decision, you can ask yourself, "Do I want clutter that I WILL eventually have to deal with later OR can I make a decision about it right now?"

Ask yourself questions like:

1. Can I put this away right now?
2. Can I throw this away (delete this)? Or give it away?
3. What is the next step I have to take regarding this?
4. Do I need to find a permanent home for this?

Take one item off a pile right now and ask yourself these questions. Deal with that one item. Try one more item... Keep it up for five or ten minutes and repeat daily!

Happy Independence-from-clutter Day!

Even Your Font Can Save You Money!

Last week I heard a great tip from Chuck Bentley on Crown Financial's MoneyLife about what FONT to use when printing to save you the most money on ink!! I can't say that I have ever thought about changing my FONT to save on ink! Click here to get all the details of their research and read the article from printer.com's April 13th blog.

Bentley had more "Tips To Cut Expenses and Reduce Stress". Click here for all the tips and links.

Oh, enough suspense...the FONT that will save you the most money is Century Gothic. EcoFont is second and Times New Roman is third. The worst of the 10 most commonly used fonts is Franklin Gothic Medium.

Which FONT do you use the most? Will knowing this information cause you to change the font you use?

Lunch Making Tip

This is the best idea for organizing your mornings!! I Facebooked this yesterday:

"Tip for making lunches (courtesy of Jenn Rogers): Buy deli meat on sale, take a loaf or two of bread, make it all into sandwiches (PB&J, too) and place into the freezer in individual freezer baggies. In the mornings, just grab a sandwich from the freezer add the sides and whaalaaa... Lunch! I made a loaf of sandwiches this morning! Please, add a lunch-making tip of your own!"

So, today, I just had to report this...I was running out of the house taking two of my girls to a softball game. From there we had to go straight to my son's piano recital and from there I was leaving to meet with a client. At the last minute (of course) I realized that I wouldn't be able to eat for several hours and may not have time to stop and get something. I was soooo happy to be able to grab a sandwich out of the freezer, grab an orange from the frig and a bag of chips and a water. Off I went.

As I drove to the recital I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to try out this sandwich from my freezer! Here goes, the results I had been waiting for...It was AWESOME!! I loved it. It had just thawed. The bread wasn't soggy at all. It tasted like I had just made it! You all must try this, too. Healthier lunches, less stress, better organized... Life is good!

Does This Photo Make My Butt Look Big?

So, have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if your pants made your butt look big? I was in a photo shoot recently and had chosen the one photo that I liked to send in for an article about my business. I got home and was about to email it when my two boys and husband came over. I showed them the photo and much to my surprise they were NOT impressed!

They pointed out that my head looked small and my butt looked like it had an entire extra pad attached to it!!! (I am sure it is the way I am sitting!) I guess, because I have never been accused of having a big butt, I never even thought about if the photo made it look big. They also pointed out that the organizing bins looked as if they were falling on me and they did not understand the background. "What are those pictures??" they asked.

After we laughed for several minutes they helped me decide on another photo and I sent that in. But (no pun intended :)), because I will probably never use this photo now I thought I should ask, "Does this photo make my butt look big?"

Odd Job: Proffessional Organizer

I have had the honor of being interviewed by Katy Ryan, a freelance writer for KC Free Press. To read the full interview Click here .

KC Free Press launched in December 2009 as a Web-based news and information source serving metropolitan Kansas City. As Kansas City’s first “built-for-the-Web” media outlet, the site was founded on a belief that a multimedia approach to reporting combined with a focus on local content and voices provides the best experience for users.

Katy is doing a series for KC Free Press titled "Odd Jobs." In addition to me, a professional organizer, Katy has interviewed a storm chaser, toy designer, KCMO fountain maintenance manager, geese police, T-shirt boutique owner and more for her 'Odd Jobs' series. It is so fun and interesting to learn about these people and their jobs and know they all live right here in the Kansas City area!

Katy Ryan is a blogger, too. Take a little trip over to her blog titled "girl about KC". She also has just published her first book, Moon Kansas City, which you can find here. As a Missouri native she covers the best of the Kansas City area, including River Market, Crossroads, Westport, and Brookside. Ryan provides various travel strategies, including The Best of Kansas City in Four Days, and explores notable restaurants as well as the various arts and entertainment the city has to offer.

Sounds like a must read for us Kansas City residents, eh?! Or for those who might visit Kansas City. This could help you locals ORGANIZE your summer outings and help introduce your out of town visitors to the treasures of KANSAS CITY!

Let me know your thoughts and what 'odd' job you have right now!

What Papers Should I Keep?

Everyone wants to know what papers they should keep and what papers are okay to throw away. With so much contradicting information going around how do we know what to do?

I received a flyer with my ING investment statements that I found quite helpful and wanted to share that with you. It is simple and to the point. Here is a wrap up of what papers to keep and for how long...

Permanent Papers: (keep forever)

• Birth, marriage and death certificates
• Passports
• A copy of your will and health care directives
• Copies of beneficiary designations for retirement accounts
• All current insurance papers

Long-Term Papers:

• Federal and state income tax returns with the supporting documentation (minimum 3 years)
• Household papers including receipts, instructions and warranties for major appliances as well as records of capital improvements (keep as long as you own your home/appliance)

Short-Term papers:

• Monthly statements
• Investment papers confirming transactions
• Pay stubs (discard once you receive the year-end statement)
• Utility and telephone bills (shred as soon as they're paid)
• ATM receipts and deposit slips (destroy once they appear on your bank statement)

If you wanted to make files simple you could follow this outline for your file tabs! Keep the permanent papers in a fire proof box or safe.

As always, check with your accountant or tax advisor. For a complete guide to tax record keeping, see IRS Publication 552, Recordkeeping for Individuals at www.irs.gov.

"The Cabinet"

Do you have one of these cabinets...It is the catch all place for all office supplies, phone books, papers of all kinds, markers, kids crafts, cords, electronics, etc. Usually it is around the area you handle the mail. For most it is in the kitchen near a desk...

I wanted to show one of my client's NEW, organized cabinet. Too bad I forgot to take a before picture so that you could see how full of papers and stuff it was - unrecognizable. But we all have something like it...somewhere. And even the most organized people out there have to consistently maintain this special cabinet.

This cabinet is great because it has adjustable shelves. If you look closely you will see that we put the black notebooks in a clear-ish magazine holder turned on its side so they wouldn't fall over. Most of the paper that was smashed in the cabinet was thrown out or moved to permanent files but the white binder with clear sheet protectors keeps important documents.

My client found the Clear AkroBins on the left at The Container Store. We labeled them for the various things she wanted to keep near her kitchen/desk area: markers, pencils, nail supplies, office supplies, money, postage, etc. The top shelf has four areas reserved for stationary, pet supplies, cameras/cords, and checks.

To start a project like this on your own use my organizing acronym "SPASM" to help...

1. Pull out the things in your cabinet one by one and Sort them into piles. Use a sticky note to write each category name near the pile so you don't forget. You may have categories like crafts, paper, phone books, addresses, office supplies, etc.
2. Purge each pile. Throw away, donate or recycle all that you can.
3. Now Assign a home to each category. Do you want to keep it in this cabinet? This step is a little like a puzzle - figuring out how and where each item will fit into the cabinet. Try it different ways until you come up with a solution you like.
4. Next, Set limits by using containers. Decide what kind of containers you need. Try items you have around the house - old Tupperware, cups for pencils, shoe boxes - just to see how it fits. Then you can search the stores or online to find just the right containers. Set limits with statements, too. Say, "I will only use this area for stationary (or pens, phone books, post-its). When it is full I will purge and donate some to make room for the new."
5. Lastly, Maintain! This is key to continued organization. When you notice it is getting messy follow this acronym again. Maybe you will have to make some changes, add a new category or move a category to a different location.

Have fun! Send me before and after pictures of your project! Enjoy the results but don't waste too much time staring at your beautiful cabinet!!