Organizing Paperwork

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Everyone hates to move. There simply isn’t a more grueling, stressful task. Sure, moving is hard work, but then there’s the problem of having everything tore up around you. There isn’t anywhere to escape and unwind. So, in addition to being exhausted from the work, you can’t get a moment to breathe and relax because everything is piled up around you.

Movers are expensive, and who wants strangers going through their personal effects? For these reasons, most people make the decision to do all of the work themselves. If you have made a similar decision, you need to read the following tips before you start packing:

• Don’t leave everything till the last minute. One full month before you move into your new Toronto real estate, you should rent a storage building close by your current home. Start gathering boxes and store them in the building. Pack things you don’t use (holiday decorations, keepsakes, extra dishes, closet clutter, off-season clothes, etc.) and store them in the building as well.
• Do not leave any boxes sitting around your home. This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and stressed out over the move. Aside from being emptier and less cluttered, your home should not show any signs of the impending move.
• Throw away stuff you do not need as you pack. Do not take junk with you to your new home. And DON’T organize a yard sale or give your unwanted items to charity unless you plan on doing so at a later time. Don’t take on too many projects at once.
• Ask a friend or family member to take care of all of the paperwork and legwork for you. Have them complete your change of address, purchase packing materials and deal with the utility companies. You will be surprised by how much moving you can accomplish if you are not distracted.
• Use color-coded stickers to label boxes: blue for bedroom, green for kitchen and so on. This will allow you to sort boxes at a glance and put them where they need to go.
• Rent a moving truck for at least two days. If you only rent a truck for one day, you may run into problems and end up having to work around the clock. Renting a truck for two days allows you to take breaks and accommodate any delays without stress.
• Load the things you d 1000 on’t need (the stuff in the storage building) first. Put the stuff that you will need immediately on the back of the truck. This reduces the need to get everything unloaded quickly.

Moving into new Toronto real estate does not need to be stressful. With a little bit of planning and organization, you can make a smooth transition into your new home. Be sure to get plenty of rest and recruit a lot of help. Pretty soon, you will be sleeping in your new home and everything will be unpacked and beautiful, just the way you imagined it.

By: Robertk

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Technorati Tags: home office organizing, office organizing tips, organizing services, organizing tips

With the success of EBay and the increasing cost of running a household, everyone should see dollar signs when they look at things in their home! Unorganized homes cost money! When was the last time you REALLY got your home cleaned out and organized?

How does that unorganized home cost you money? When you can’t find something, you tend to buy a new one. If you can’t find tax paperwork when the IRS calls you for an audit THAT will cost you money! When you lose bills in piles of paperwork and get hit with that late charge THAT just cost you money! Running around trying to find things you KNOW you have but can’t find costs you time and energy and that usually costs money. Knowing where your home owner’s insurance policy is when that hurricane is bearing down on you is a critical thing!

Being organized allows you to know what you do NOT need and if that’s the case get rid of it. If you have things you want to get rid of consider donating them to charitable organizations (remember to get a receipt for the donations if you can itemize). Recently, I donated old glasses to an organization that collects them for the needy. I donated stuffed animals to the state police (no receipt here but it was a good cause!) for children in accidents or children pulled out of abusive homes. I sent several nice suits to a local organization that helps dress women for interviews (frequently these women are on state aid and coming out of education programs and can’t afford nice interview clothes). When you REALLY start to look around you, there are plenty of great programs and people who are desperate for those things that you do NOT need!

Now, you might prefer to get cash for those extras you have. EBay is huge these days! Although I’ve never done this and can’t offer any advice or help, a quick inquiry in a search engine will pull up lots of free help.

Another get-cash option is holding a tag-sale. You can do this with several other families in a well seen location or maybe haul what you have to a flea market. I, personally, take my stuff to our local flea market because there is serious traffic there and I can do very well.

How do you get organized? Trust me, don’t do it all in one day. Stay focused on ONE thing at a time. Don’t start the garage at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Pick jobs that fit the time frame. If you have an hour, maybe clean out a few drawers, a kitchen counter that collects paperwork, or a few cookbooks you KNOW you haven’t used in five years! Keep boxes for the stuff you find. Mark one for the garbage, one for donations and one for “not sure” stuff. Feed boxes well! Make sure to file paperwork accordingly and keep important paperwork together and in properly marked envelopes or file organizer. Put the “not sure” box aside for 6 months. If you haven’t used it or needed it in that time frame, consider moving it to the garbage box or donation box.

Do you have kids who don’t want to part with any unused toys? Consider getting them into the clean out by showing them how their unused toys could make a child in a homeless shelter or an abused woman’s shelter, very happy. I know our church sends small toys to Haiti through Haiti Project (read, all those Happy Meal toys!). Less in the landfills and a smile on a child’s face, somewhere! Show them how their donated toys can raise money for the Salvation Army or other relief organizations that were there when Katrina hit. You might end up cleaning out a lot of stuff by showing them that it really is better to give than receive.

Bottom line, look around your home and decide what you need, what you want and then what you should get rid of. Make the most of what you get rid of either by donating it or selling it. Then look around and give yourself a pat on your back for cleaning out and organizing your life and your home and count the cash (from your sale or tax refund) and those good feelings you get by giving to some great causes.

By: Tammy Paquin

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Technorati Tags: desk organizer, filing systems, office organizer, time management

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.” The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” “That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and everyday while we walk back, you water them”.

“For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

We each have our own ways to organize that is unique to us. One friend told me she only has two bibs for her child. They are plastic and she washes them off after he eats so she doesn’t need more bibs as this works great for her.

Another friend has over 15 cloth bibs. She washes and folds them to put in the drawer. She is happy with this system. Both of these are different yet both systems are individual based on personality and needs. My friend with all the bibs has a zillion hot pads. My other friend has opted for the silicone ones that don’t take up a lot of space and are heat resistance and she only needs two. Like the saying says, “different strokes for different folks”, and both are solutions for their organization needs.

Some people are perfectly happy with the towels and linens to be in the closet while others want the towels folded in one stack, the wash cloths in another place. For some people it doesn’t bother them to search for the size of the sheet they need every time they change the bed and for others it drives them batty to have to search.

For those who like to keep their sheets positioned so they know the size without searching try this tip. Label the shelf with the size of sheet that goes there. Place both sheets and pillowcase inside the other matching pillowcase. This keeps a set together and saves time and frustration of looking not only for the size but going one place for the sheets and another for the pillowcase.

Sometimes the amount of space we have dictates what we can and cannot have in our homes. For those with a limited amount of space there are collapsible measuring cups and measuring spoons. For someone else they need a plastic shoe box to put all of their measuring cups.

organizing is a matter of personal taste and doing it one way does not make another way incorrect or wrong. Adopt a system that works for you.

Marilyn Bohn’s Bio
Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for over two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah.

By: Marilyn Bohn

Technorati Tags: closet organizing, home organizing, kitchen design, organizing tips

If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, a disorganized or small space can be very difficult to work in. If your kitchen is on the smaller side, and shelf space is limited, it becomes very important to choose your kitchen gadgets and equipment wisely and treat them with care. When it comes to space-saving in the kitchen, it is important to think of a way to store your items that will best benefit you in the space you are given. First, choose items that can do double or even triple duty with multiple functions. Secondly, choose items that can help you maximize the space you have available for storage.

Multi-functional Items:

Cooking equipment items can sometimes become a little pricy when you have to get a product for every function in the kitchen. A multi-functional item is a great investment for those of you who love to cook and be in your kitchen. These multi-functional items are great to have around and will effectively save you a lot of storage space and can fit into most budgets.

The 3-in-1 Griddle serves as three appliances in one. With interchangeable cooking places, you can quickly switch between a griddle, waffle iron, and sandwich griller. This machine enables you to save a large amount of storage space since you will only need to find space for one machine instead of three! The best part about this item is that it is just $59.95. You will be saving plenty of money by choosing the multi-functional option instead of buying all three appliances separately. For around the same price, you can choose the Total Chef 4-in-1 Grill, which is smaller but includes the same features as the 3-in-1 griddle as well as a grill.

The Butcher Block Bin is a combination of everything great that you are looking for in your kitchen. This product provides you with extra storage space as well as a designated area for food preparation. For $149.95, you can add a completely portable, extra cabinet to your kitchen. By moving the butcher block anywhere around your kitchen, you can take full advantage of all of its great features such as a towel-holders, storage shelves, and a large interior space which can hold pantry items on one side and a trash bin on the other.

Items that Maximize Storage Space:

Making good use of cupboard space is usually a primary concern if your kitchen has limited storage. If you suffer from a smaller kitchen with limited space, below are a few inexpensive ways to help you make the most of the storage space that you do have.

• Plate Cradles:
Plate Cradles are great for storing dinner and salad plates. Plate cradle’s enable you to store plates in an upright position, letting you get the most out of your cabinet space. This gives you a bit of extra space for other items. These cradles are also great for when you have a buffet at your home and need more space on the buffet table for food that plates would normally take up. These are definitely a bargain, too, at just $9.95 for the smaller size and $12.95 for the large.

• Lid Maid Organizer:
The Lid Maid Organizer is used to regain the cupboard space being used by pot or plastic lids. The lids are stored vertically in a handy organizer that slides in and out of your cabinet, making retrieval easy. At just $12.95, this is an easy and inexpensive way of reclaiming some much-needed space in your cabinet.

• Stackable Organizing Bins:
Making use of vertical space is easily one of the best ways to maximize storage room in your kitchen. Stackable organizing bins are an extremely effective and stylish way to do this. For just $12.95 you can choose fantastic clear plastic organizers that stack easily to store all food items and condiments. Perfect for pantries, cabinets, and even the refrigerator, these inexpensive organizers are one of the best organizing and space-saving items you will ever find!

• Expanding Step Shelves:
Expanding step shelves are perfect for storing cans, jars, boxes and condiments. These tiered shelves are expandable, enabling you to fit into almost any size cabinet. The useful three-tiered shelf means that smaller items will never get lost again. At $12.95 to $17.95 per shelf, you will definitely want more than one.

• Tiered Corner Shelf :
With a tiered corner shelf, you can turn any bench-top corner into an easily-accessible home for condiments and other small kitchen items. Normally, that corner in your home is an awkward space where nothing really fits well, and often the only thing that collects there is dust. This fantastic two-tier shelf, made from attractive hardwood, can hold all of those little items that you use frequently but just do not have a proper home for. The shelf can hold items such as oils, vinegars, cookbooks, salt and pepper, and anything else that needs a permanent home. At just $19.95 this product is an absolute bargain, and at that price they can be perfect for the bathroom and other areas of the home too.

• Double Tier Produce Basket:
Buying a double tier produce basket is one more easy and inexpensive way to maximize your bench space. By choosing a wire design, your produce will stay fresher for longer thanks to good air circulation. Pick up a chrome double tier produce basket for just $19.95. They are absolutely perfect for the pantry as well as the bench and countertop, so you may decide to more than one!

By: Arianna Jordan3

Technorati Tags: home organizing, kitchen organizers, office organizing, organizing solutions

Organizing a garage efficiently can be a difficult task when not handled well. Maintaining that organization on a daily basis, however, can be even more challenging. There are many ways to create an effective system that will work for you, but doing so may take some hard-work and dedication. There are a few sure fire steps to take when it comes to getting your garage cleaned out and organized.

The first and most challenging stage of garage reorganization is planning. From there, one needs to begin the process of clearing out the garage completely. The third step is to put it all back together again in an organized and easily accessible way. These three simple steps can help you get your garage in an orderly fashion. Within each of these larger steps, however, there are a few smaller precautions that should also be taken care of.

Planning is the most important phase of garage reorganization. A plan can almost always fail without the proper preparation. There are many things that can go wrong when cleaning out your garage, but a good plan can expose unpredicted problems before they ruin the rest of your work. The first stage of planning should be to take an inventory. Knowing what you have, what you need, and what you can get rid of is very essential.

The second stage of planning is to thoroughly investigate the given space in your garage. It is important to ask yourself what open space is not being used best. People often tend to ignore all of the open space above the garage door, and leave it empty. Try to also think about how you are using your walls. If you have a lot of empty wall space, it can be used to hang your items in an organized, neat fashion. After taking proper inventory and evaluating your space, you are then ready to enter the third and usually most fun stage of planning: purchasing important items.

Investing in useful organizational items for your garage can have an extremely positive affect on your space. A well designed, color coded recycling center in the corner of your garage can save you space all over your home as well as the headache from a more elaborate recycling system. Many of the better home-recycling containers can come on wheeled caddies, making them easy to transport out to the curb on trash day.

Pegboards are another great organizational item that you should consider investing in. They are the key to making your unused wall space flourish. Not only can pegs perfectly cater to hanging up all of your gardening tools and other such devices, they can also easily be used to add extra shelving. There is also an endless array of racks to hold everything from fishing rods and reels to golf clubs, bicycles and other sports equipment above your doors. The space above your door is especially useful for seasonal items, as you will likely not need to reach up there too often. With proper inventory, evaluation of space, and purchasing of goods, planning your new organizational scheme can be fun and easy.

The second step to proper garage organization is to clear out the entire space. This process has two primary stages. The first is to get everything out. It is important to have your garage completely emptied of materials before undergoing any serious reorganization. Installing your new organizational tools requires space that can be achieved easily if the garage is empty. Seeing the full space will allow you to get a better vision of how you want it to look when you have finished. This will help you see any potential flaws in your plan, and begin finding a solution before everything is back in its place.

Getting everything out also encourages the second stage, cleaning. Cleaning out your garage is important, even if you only use it for outdoor storage. Spraying much of the space down with a hose is a great start. It is also important to make sure you get at all of the cobwebs, the dust, and the debris before you try to add new items. It is important to clean off the individual items in your garage before you put them back in their proper places. It is easy to clean when the items are out of the garage, and you do not have to move around them. Take advantage of this time with the garage empty and use it to give your items a clean shine. Once you have done this, you are ready to take on the third and final step of the process.

There are a few important rules of thumb to keep in mind when it comes to putting your garage back together again. The first to consider is effective movement. Make sure that you leave good lanes for you and your family to move around in throughout your garage space. If you have to work hard to put an item away, it usually is not long before you end up letting the system go and leaving the garage a mess once again. When it comes to the tangible process of what to put back in when, it is a good idea to start with the larger items. Getting these in place will allow you to better see your space limitations within the new scheme, and will help you troubleshoot. From there work your way from the back up, remembering to leave space for easy movement.

By following the three simple steps of planning, taking apart and putting back together your garage, it is simple for anybody to turn this space into a well organized part of their home. While it may take some patience and hard work, when all is done the rewards are plentiful.

By: Nick Kakolowski2

Technorati Tags: garage organization, garage organizers, garage storage, home organizing

Being organized is the key to doing it all. When you are organized, you are ready for anything that may come your way. Learning how to be the best that you can and be ready for things when they happen is one way of being organized. You should explore your options and think about what you need to do to better yourself and be more organized for life.

There are different steps that you can take to better prepare for you for work, home and school. You have to get yourself organized so that you are able to keep everyone else organized as well. It is going to make things easier in the end when you think about it. You can be ready for anything and this will help you keep on schedule and keep your family moving along in the right direction too.

When you are looking for tips to keep you organized, you will want to make sure that you are reading up on the topic. There are different articles that will help you maintain the goals that you are looking to keep. It is going to be better for you so that you are able to stay on the right path. There are different ideas that you can apply to your everyday life and in the extreme situations so that you are able to keep on track of where you are supposed to be and what you are supposed to.

It is not going to happen overnight. Being organized is something that you defiantly have to learn and it will take a little while to get on the right path. You will find it hard at first to keep up with the things that you want to do so that you are organized and ready for anything. You will want to also make sure that you are doing all that you can to kick the old habits out of your system. When you are able to let them go, you will find it easier to bring the new organization skills into play. This will be something that can be frustrating at first, but once you learn it, you will find it easier to make it work in your situation.

There are so many helpful things out there on the market today that can help you with your organization skills. You may find that there are different things that you can pick up for cheap prices that will make your organization a lot easier to keep up with. You will be able to put papers, pens, letters, and even books in a certain area all together so that they are not being messed up or getting lost. This will be a big help for you when you are really busy and looking for something important.

In addition, you can use the filing system. Everyone is going to have a different method of filing. You need to make sure that you are putting everything where it needs to be so that you are keeping it all straight. Having a place for every file and every paper is going to make it easier to find when you need it. You will not have to run all over looking for the items that you need because they will be all right there where you need them.

Once you learn the organization skills that you want, you will find it easier to talk better and be more proficient with the things that you are doing on a regular basis. You need to make sure that you are organized with everything that you are doing so that you can make life easier for you and for others too.

By: Michelle L. Green

Technorati Tags: home organizing, organizing, organizing process, professional organizer

While “green” and organizing may sound unrelated, promoting green consciousness is a natural extension of the organizing process. Professional organizers enter homes and businesses on a regular basis, and armed with proper knowledge, a professional organizer can assist clients in becoming more Earth-friendly. As the Chair of my Town’s Earth Day Clean Sweep for the past five years, I am well aware of the importance of reducing and recycling, and relish the opportunity to influence clients and the general public in this regard.

What can you do to get better organized in a “green-friendly” way? Here are some tips.

• Think Before You Buy – Try to transform your buying habits so that you are not accumulating too many items in the first place. Most of the environmental damage is done in the manufacturing stage, so the less consumerism, the better. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produced 254.1 million tons of household trash in the year 2007 alone. In 2008, however, as a result of the economic recession and the resulting decrease in disposable incomes, landfills reported a 30% decline in waste levels.
• Pay bills Online – According to Javelin Strategy & Research, 53% of Americans currently use online banking services, rising to an estimated 67% by 2012. The report also estimates that Americans could prevent the logging of 16.5 million trees every year if all Americans switched from paper bills to Internet banking.
• Repurpose and Reuse – Consider repurposing or reusing existing items in creative ways to avoid buying more and to give new life to forgotten items that are just taking up space.
• Recycle – Throughout the sorting, purging, and organizing process, think of the benefits of recycling. Often times, a person is unaware of the recycling guidelines in his or her particular area, or whether a particular item can be recycled at all. For a list of lesser-known recycling programs, visit the Donation and Recycling Resources page of my website.  Get educated so you can stop adding to landfills and recycle more. Consider setting up an organized recycling center in your home or business to make it as easy as possible to recycle.
• Donate – Remember, recycling includes donating items that you no longer love, need, or use often to those who could truly put those items to good use. Adopt a charity, or even a particular family to donate to (check out www.TangibleKarma.com). If you just want to unload items for free, consider giving them away on Freecycle (www.Freecycle.org). Think “green” when organizing. You will not only be able to reduce your clutter and find things more easily, you will be helping the Earth in the process.

Author: Lisa Montanaro

Technorati Tags: home organizing, organizing, organizing process, professional organizer

Take a Tour of Your Home – De-clutter to Show Its Spaciousness

Moving is one of the top stressors in our lives; now is the time for expert support from your Broker/Realtor, Stager and Certified Professional Organizer.

Take an objective person with you to assess your home from a buyer’s standpoint.

Figure out what makes the room seem full or cluttered.

Come up with a game plan.

Decide what to Keep, Toss, Give Away or Sell

Start with a room you use often. You’ll notice the differences because you’re in the room frequently. This helps you stay motivated.

Any items you haven’t used in 6-12 months? Can you donate, resell or recycle?

If you haven’t used it in a year, do you really need it? Can you borrow or repurchase?

Who else might appreciate the item? Family? Friend?

Will you need the item while your house is on the market? That’s a keep-but-store decision.

Reorganize to Release the Clutter

1. Holiday gatherings: An opportune time to pass along the tradition (and dishes)!

2. Clear out clutter-attractors — armoires, desks, hutches. Sort and reorganize. These are magnets for clutter. Shelves and drawers can seem cluttered if not organized. Group together similar items in organizers, baskets or bins.

3. Closets: Decide on a purpose for each closet. Weed/reorganize based on purpose.

4. Photos, family items, collections: Save your favorites. Memory boxes can honor memories and limit how much you can save.

5. Pictures/paintings: Clear walls and tabletops make a room feel spacious.

6. Attics: “Someday” is today! Weed out and store while your house is on the market.

Picture your rooms with nothing in them. See how large the rooms seem? Now visually start putting things back in the room. The point here is to allow you to live more simply … and for potential buyers to see how much space is truly there for all their “stuff.”

Author: Sue West

Technorati Tags: clutter organizer, home organizing, organizing home office, professional organizer

What factors drive companies to outsource their IT needs? One of the most common is also one of the most obvious: to reduce costs. Cost effective solutions become top priority for organizations, especially during an economic recession. There are also other factors that come into play, which in the end, all contribute to the reduction of costs, as well as risk.

Outsourcing also can help an organization transition into new technologies. Information Technology outsourcers are able to provide access to more experience and more current knowledge of advancing and relevant technologies. Usually, small to mid-size businesses lack the depth and necessary resources to handle all of the required solutions that come in the way of IT. In turn, many companies have turned to outsourcers to help them implement their web presence, ERP systems, intranet and knowledge management systems, and client/server systems.

By bringing in outside expertise, upper management can focus less attention on IT operations and more on the core activities of their business. MIS department personnel usually manage the relationships with outsourcers and are ultimately responsible for the outcome of the IT services.

An outsourcer can also offer IT personnel an environment more geared towards the IT worker that a typical company cannot afford to build. For example, a typical programmer would have responsibility for one application within a company, but for multiple applications or projects at an outsourcer. It becomes the outsourcer’s to find, train and retain the highly marketable IT talent. This relieves an employer of the headaches of costly investments in continuous training. This also eliminates the issues of hiring and retaining a staff that can easily change jobs to move to a different company.

Author: John Ferrughelli

Technorati Tags: closet organizing, home organizing, organizing services, organizing tips