Just Print It

Just print it... print it good! In this day and age, it is so easy to snap hundreds, nay, thousands, of digital pictures that never see the light of day after they hit your hard drive. What is the point of taking all those pictures if they remain locked in electronic limbo? Do yourself a happy favor and resolve to print out at least a handful of pictures once a month. And to keep the internal computer clutter down, at least every six months, browse through your photos and delete those that you know you can live without. As always, make sure to regularly back up your entire computer (not just pictures) using a reliable method such as an external hard drive.

Office Tools

No, not the ones who always talk loudly or make dumb jokes about having a "case of the Mondays." I'm talking about those necessary items for any well-stocked office, home or otherwise. In no particular order, I find it imperative to have the following on or within reach of my desk:

-3-hole punch

-Calculator

-Black Sharpies

-Calendar

-Paper clip dish (something attractive but functional, not the horrible magnetic rectangular container)

-Binder clips in small and medium sizes

-Post-It notes in fun prints

-Highlighters

-Several waterproof ink pens with blue ink

-Fine-tip red pen

-Stapler

-Scotch tape

-Letter-size basket

-Box of Kleenex

-Inspirational art, whether a small sculpture or framed piece

-Coaster for my coffee mug

What is your "must have" desk item?

Using your Planner

Use your planner like a diary. At the end of the week, write down important things that happened over the past seven days. The point is not to make a detailed entry or even an entry every day, but rather to keep a record with a few key words. For example, "made offer on house today," "had impromptu after-work drinks with friends," "tried new Mexican restaurant," "planted vegetable garden," etc. You will be amazed and thankful when you look back over your year!

Tip: Uses for Sheet Set Bags

You know those plastic zipper bags that many sheet sets come in? Have you noticed how most have a pocket or two where the cardstock-weight label is slipped in? Well, you can take that label out, make your own, and slip it right back into the pocket. You have instant organization for no extra money. Some ideas of things to store: playing cards, winter hats/mittens/scarves, stray socks, art supplies, doll clothes... and so on!

Tip: Containers on the Cheap

A fabulous source for inexpensive organizing containers is your local dollar store. You can score some great standards, like plastic baskets, as well as some funky yet useful items, like nylon woven baskets. I use the latter tipped on their sides (with the openings facing out instead of up) and stack my 2 oz. bottles of acrylic paints inside. At 4x4 inches, they're the perfect size.

Speaking of Label Makers...

One of the very best birthday presents I ever received was a label maker. I have been using the Dymo Letra Tag for the past 5 years and I do like it because it's fast, reliable, and the scissor function is sharp and precise. My biggest gripe: the tape isn't as "sticky" as I would like, which means that although it works very well for labeling file folders, it doesn't want to stay put on plastic. That is a problem for some of my craft boxes. One of these days I will upgrade to a QWERTY keyboard!

Welcome!

A hearty welcome from northwestern Michigan! After years of obsession with all things label maker, filing system, basket, Sharpie, and so on, I have decided to make a passion into something to share with you all. I hope someone somewhere finds something useful here. Please feel free to email me with any particular questions or organization challenges. I'm up for it! (Email: upnorthorganizing@gmail.com)