Paper isn’t pretty. It isn’t fun. It’s practical, tedious and stressful.

Paper piles are easily hidden… at first.

I often debate with myself about how long I should save different papers, where to file papers I want to be able to retrieve, and WHY is CAN’T FIND a paper!

Organization is a hobby and a business for me, maybe you too!

When I finish a room I love to show off my work. But you don’t get that same feeling when you organize your paper. Your friends are not going to rush over and see how pretty your files look!

But slowly overtime the weight of those bloated files and not being able to find that coupon AGAIN build up until… ENOUGH!

I had enough last summer and tackled my paper monster once and for all.

10 Steps to Organized Paper will walk you step by step through organizing every paper you have. Taxes, coupons, photos, birth certificates, it’s all there.

As a former teacher I have written this book in a step by step manner to guide you and encourage you as you tackle your paper.

Part one covers archival paper like old tax records, manuals and kids artwork.

Part two is the daily paper that can be just OVERWHELMING.

You know the daily kid’s book orders, homework, field trip and camp registrations. Then there is the mail that contains coupons, bills and magazines you want to read. Add in a few medical receipts for good measure and you have the beginnings of the average mom’s kitchen paper monster.

I have been using my paper system and helping others do the same for 10 months. And it WORKS!

I have to say, when I was done tackling my paper, my friends really DID come see my files and systems. They too had paper monsters to tackle; they just didn’t know where to begin.

For more information and to purchase please visit my site here.

Lisa is a Cincinnati mom who has struggled the last 12 years to give her kids the best education, food and treatments money can buy. Raising special needs kids is taxing emotionally, relationally, financially and physically. Her dream is to break down the walls isolating special needs families and providing them with information to help them achieve their goals. Lisa blogs at Warrior Mama “Helping busy moms…Manage All Mama’s Assets”. Lisa also shares her organizational tips on her blog Organize365: Helping Busy Mama’s organize their busy lives.

*this post includes affiliate links

Why does paper organization sink to the bottom of our organizational to do list? is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Containers bring me inner peace.

If I had not been a toddler in the 80s, I would probably have sold Tupperware.  Things have a way of growing legs and spreading all over your house. From the shoes you kick off at the door, to the bag of groceries you bring in from the car, to (my personal unfavorite) the junk mail that multiplies no matter what you do.

Here are a few of the containers that I have bought or re-purposed that make my Type A self say, “Ahhh…” when I see them in action.

Since I have long, skinny drawers in my bathroom, these white baskets keep things corralled. I can’t fit a third organizer in the back so a few items are roaming free back there. Although it may not be a perfect fit for everything I need, I saved money by using containers I already had.

My new favorite way to organize bobby pins. This is an old first aid travel kit that is a little bigger than an altoids tin (which also makes good container for bobby pins).

I threw away several old spices during my 7 Days of 7 Throw Aways week and I re-purposed this one to hold toothpicks.

This basket was just sitting in a closet and I now use it to house bathroom essentials we keep on the counter.  I really don’t like clearing off the sink to clean it every week. So this basket is amazing because it holds a lot, is nice and sturdy, and I can just pick up the basket and move it when it’s time to clean.

An old container for sprinkles holds our headphones.

This red table in our entryway serves as a place to keep shoes, keys, papers, and mail until it is sorted and filed.

What containers in your house can be re-purposed to make your life easier?

Rebecca is a former educator turned stay-at-home mom (for now). She loves exercising, reading, and blogging about her adventures as a wife and new mom at D and R Tabb.

Container Organization is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I am so thrilled to be sharing with Org Junkie’s savvy readers and one of my favorite organizing blogs! Many thanks and be sure to see what else is on my mind at Simply Savvy.

As a Professional Organizer I have the fun task of shopping for clients and purchasing organizing and designing solutions that meet their unique needs. While shopping with a loaded cart, I am often asked if I have a favorite product or one that I would recommend. I could go on and on about good organizing solutions—no one solution works for everyone. However, one of my favorite items to use is canvas grommet style bins—functional, flexible, and stylish.

They work great in a laundry room, under the sink, on a playroom shelf, and in any type of closet.

Here’s how I quickly transform a space using bins:

1- Start by removing all items so you can see what you have and purge what you don’t need.

2- Reorganize items according to purpose, category, or function.

3- Label each bin clearly for easy access.

Take a look at this transformed bathroom closet.

I chose the chocolate brown bins to go with the sleek look of the espresso cabinet. I grouped like items together; such as, hair products, accessories, toiletries and then utilized shallow bins for wash cloths.

This busy working mom can now access her items quickly and feel good while doing so! Now that’s Simply Savvy.

Are you spring cleaning? What areas are you struggling with? Share your thoughts, I love sharing back!

As a Professional Organizer and owner of Simply Savvy LLC, I work with clients to create organizing and design solutions that allow them to love their spaces. The Simply Savvy blog is where I get to share what inspires me in the hopes of helping others along the way — it’s all things organizing, design, or just things I find that are Simply Savvy!

Transforming a Closet with Canvas Bins is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

1.  Have a Routine

I was raised on a routine, going to school to be a teacher, they emphasized routines, and we have had many routines in our home. Our routine is flexible, but we usually do things in the same order most days. Having a routine helps me accomplish more because I know when I will have time to be productive and I usually know about how much time will be available (however, I still always over plan)! ;)

I know that the earlier I get up, the more I can accomplish before others get up. However, I’m a morning person, so this works for me. Come 9 pm, I am done. I am super lucky if I am productive after that time. I have learned to work with my body instead of against it. I will plan sedentary or easy things to do at night (reading, blogging, etc) and try to get the more labor intensive things done first thing in the morning.

2.  Have a Plan

I have learned that planning is a big part of getting things done. Being organized (not my strong suit) and having everything together, will automatically make you more productive. Not too long ago, I made a “Calls” list and had phone numbers on it. I then stuck it in my bag. Low and behold, a few days later I was waiting for my children to be done with church school and I pulled out the list and was able to complete all the phone calls. I would not have been able to accomplish that if I hadn’t had an organized list.

Planning also helps you become more aware of how long things actually take (something I am still struggling with) because I always think that things won’t take as long as they do. I’ve also learned to plan in extra time if I have to contact or rely on someone else.

Planning “buffer” time is also a must. I used to plan almost every second of every day and then get very discouraged when I didn’t finish hardly anything.

3.  Change Your Habits/Vices

A lot of my productivity has come from making changes. Some were easy to implement and others were (and still are) a huge struggle. First of all, I love TV. I used to watch so many shows. I knew for a long time that if I could give up TV then I could get a lot more accomplished, however, I wasn’t ready to make that sacrifice yet.

At one point in time, I was addicted to Facebook games. I was playing at least eight games and I literally planned my day around when I needed to play my games. I think I was suffering a little postpartum depression. However, when I would go to bed at night, I would feel terrible about myself and about who I was. I didn’t want my children to remember me by always being in front of the computer.

Electronics aren’t the only thing that has sucked me in in the past. There have been times when I’ve been reading a book and made the book more of a priority than it should have been. Habits and vices come in many forms. Learning to control them is key. (I now only play 1 game; on my iPOD, which doesn’t require a computer; I also don’t hardly ever watch my shows when they are broadcasting anymore, I “DVR” them and watch them when I have time. I am extremely far behind on some of them, but I figure, when they become important enough to me, then I’ll catch up!)

4.  Attitude is Important

I have learned that my attitude can make or break my day and my productivity.

I have learned that if it’s important enough, I will find a way to get it done.

I have learned that determination and persistence are good, but they can also lead to burn out.

I have learned that I can think about things differently: I like to work out in the morning before everyone else gets up, but if it doesn’t happen then, I don’t have to forget it for the day, I can try to get it in during nap time (knowing that I will have to give up something that I was planning on accomplishing during nap time). I don’t have to have everything on my “To Do” list done before my husband gets home. I still have quite a few more hours left in the day after he is here. Plus, it gives me a good excuse to ask him to spend time with the kids, while I finish up a few things! ;)

I have learned that I’m not a failure if I don’t accomplish everything I wanted to and that it does me absolutely no good to let myself feel like one either. As I stated before, if it’s important enough, then it will get done. Progress, even baby steps is better than being stagnant! I also want to make sure that I have enough time for the most important things in my life. I want to be a good example for my children. If you are thinking that maybe other things are taking over the important things in your life, ask your children. I love to ask my children “What do mommies do?” Their perspectives can be quite eye-opening (and sometimes very funny).

5.  Make the Most of the First 30 Minutes of the Day

I have learned that the first 30 minutes of my day sets the tone for the rest of the day. If I can be productive in the first 30 minutes, then it will probably be a good day.

6.  Schedule Some Fun

I always try to make sure and write down things that I will enjoy doing. This helps me start feeling more motivated instead of dreading my list. It also gives me something to work towards. Besides, if I’m having a really bad day, I can usually at least make myself do at least one thing on my list!

How do you get things done?

Carolynn Sauer taught for 5 years and is currently in her second year of being a stay at home mom to four children; ages: 6, 5, 3 & 2.  She blogs about parenting and life as a mom at My Little Bit of Life.

6 Smart Steps to Getting Things Done is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Please welcome today’s guest poster, Kristen, to the blog.

With the daily demands of maintaining a home and tending to my family’s needs, the time I get for myself is very important. To me, there’s no spa could beat a bathroom. This is where I usually take refuge when I need to escape the stresses of being a mother to my baby girl and wife to a busy man.

credit: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Since mess easily gets to me, I make sure there’s nothing about the bathroom that distracts me. It’s important that things are in order, and that everything is in its right place. With a family, this can easily get out of hand. This is why as early as now, I teach my daughter how to value cleanliness by taking care of her things. She knows where to find what she needs and understands that items have to be returned to their proper places.

Here are some tips to improve your bathroom space:

First, take a look at the supplies you have in the bathroom and get rid of the things you don’t need: expired medications, hair products that haven’t been used in years, empty tubes of pimple cream, and whatever else isn’t being used. Janet Hall of Online Organizing offers this check checklist for bathroom items we don’t really need:

• make-up, hair products, and lotions you haven’t used in 6 months
• products that are dried up or evaporated
• prescription medications that have expired
• over-the-counter medications you haven’t used in 6 months
• old razors, scissors, or other dull and rusty metal items
• pack duplicates of toiletries in your suitcases

credit: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Efficient storage is a matter of knowing how to use your space wisely. Don’t overcrowd your bathroom with an unreasonable number of beauty products. Also, you don’t need towels of every color –since a towel’s fabric is relatively thick, I realized having four towels per family member is advisable.

(note from Laura:  my recommendation is just two towels per person!)

If you keep linens in your bathroom, I suggest you stick to three sets of linen per family member unless you have a lot of space to spare. Add a twist to your bathroom makeover by using color-coded baskets or shelves intended for family members’ toiletries: loofahs, hair products, and toothbrushes, among other items. Throw in only what you use daily and place them in a convenient area.  Keep extra supplies elsewhere.

credit: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Another great rule of thumb is to be practical with the space you’re working with. For example, I notice that many people place paintings on their bathroom walls—that space might actually be better used for extra storage space, in some cases.

A quick glance should tell you how the family bathroom is organized: can you spot what you need straight away? Is there something that looks out of place in its surroundings? The bathroom should be a place for the family to feel safe, get clean, and relax; keeping it well organized does wonders for this.

Kristen works as a freelance writer for Backyard Ocean, an online store for above ground swimming pools, inflatable pool toys, and accessories. With a husband and a five-year old daughter, she challenges herself to find creative and practical ways to make their home enjoyable to live in. 

Bathroom Organization Ideas is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

credit: witer

Technology that keeps track of your life—so you can enjoy it!

In the midst of a busy life it’s difficult to stay organized. Regardless of if you’ve got a busy social life, a ton of work obligations, a myriad of family responsibilities…or all of the above…staying organized is about the only way to remain stress free and healthy. When pace of life turns up the stress-odometer, you need to be organized in order to keep on top of everything and not totally burn out.

The good news is that there are a ton of smart phone apps—for your iPhone, Android, and even your Samsung Galaxy S to help keep your busy life organized, and I’ve listed them here in one convenient place. Because, let’s face it, there’s no need to add more stress to your life right?

1. Bento ($4.99 – for iPhone)

You’re familiar with those cute little traditional Japanese bento boxes that you get when you go out for a sushi lunch right? They organize your soup, salad, and sushi rolls in those convenient, little compartments in one container so the foods don’t get confused. Well, the Bento app keeps all the daily duties compartmentalized in the same manner—so they don’t get confused. This app can help you manage all of your most important work and personal stuff—from paying bills, to signing contacts, to managing work projects, to attending social events. You’ll never forget a responsibility—big or small—ever again, thanks to Bento’s pre-loaded database structure, which you can customize to your day, your week, your month, your year, and your life!

2. Organizing Junkie ($1.99 – for iPhone)

From this very own blog, orgjunkie.com, comes all the professional tips and tricks from busy mom of three and Professional Organizer, Laura Wittmann. The Organizing Junkie app features tips and tricks for organizing your life to its fullest. Sharing professional organizing techniques from Laura’s book, Clutter Rehab as well as her website, this app will help you simplify and organize your daily task list without adding more stress to your life. Each day, the Organizing Junkie app takes three tasks from your master task list and adds them to your daily top three task section. The aim is to help you prioritize tasks by narrowing your focus on just 3 tasks at a time—so you don’t get overwhelmed. As you complete your daily tasks, you can check them off. Once all to-dos are completed, you’ll get a roaring round of fireworks to celebrate your accomplishments.

3. Mint Personal Finance (Free – for iPhone)

Mint is a very popular personal finance app that takes its cue from the larger website. This app features all of the bells and whistles of Mint.com to help your take control and manage your personal finances—in the palm of your hand. So you can consult your budget, bank account transactions, track expenses and pay bills from absolutely anywhere.

4. Pageonce (Free – for Android)

The Pageonce app allows users to manage multiple accounts (and not only the financial kind) from its convenient one-stop interface. There’s no more logging into one account then bringing up another to compare. And, as mentioned, Pageonce lets you manage more than just bank accounts. You can add as many eBay, Netflix, grocery store, frequent flyer, and social networking accounts to the mix as you like—this app can handle the heat! Plus, Pageonce will protect all of your secure information and passwords thanks to its 256 bit data encryption and 128 bit encrypted SSL.

5. Seize The Day (Free – for iPhone)

The name of this app really says it all! Seize The Day is an easy-to-operate task manager that keeps users organized and on top of all daily duties. Plus, it’s got an audio reminder feature that I find extremely useful when I’m still at work and have 10 minutes to pick up my son at school. With Seize The Day you can simply organize your responsibilities, add personal notes (such as addresses or special instructions), and set individual reminders to keep you on top of all your to-dos.

6. Voice Control (Free – for Android)

Smart phones are the ideal tool for multitasking. However, Voice Control makes it that much easier! This app let’s you use voice control features to look up phone contacts and dial them hands free—instead of the dangerous alternative, which is scrolling through your phone to find a contact while driving and having an accident or risking a ticket. The beauty of Voice Control also lets you search for driving directions while at the wheel, so you’ll also be able to access the information you need in a hurry when you’re hands are occupied—eating, drinking coffee, getting ready for work, or driving to a location.

7. Last Pass (Free – for iPhone and Android)

Thank goodness for apps like Last Pass! Before it I had no way of keeping track of all of my passwords—and good luck remembering those passwords I only use once in a while. The Last Pass app will keep all of The Last Pass app will not only help you create unique and hard-to-crack passwords for your banking, social networking, email, and online shopping accounts;  and keeps all those unique passwords organized so you don’t have trouble remembering them when you need them.

Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news and commentary plus reviews on popular providers like T-Mobile.

Seven Great Apps for Organizing Your Busy Life is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I love the focus on menu planning here on I’m An Organizing Junkie!  For me, this is a HUGE way to to keep life sane.  I recently started meal planning using Google calendar and I love it.  I followed a great tutorial posted HERE.

I do lots of freezer cooking to keep meal time simple in our home.  But what good is filling your freezer, if you don’t use the food in there?!  That is a problem I  have recently tried to fix for myself.  I headed down to the Dollar Tree to see what I could find.

• I bought these white containers in which to place all the components of an entire  meal.  I am a part of a freezer co-op and receive six meals a month.  I want to keep all the pieces together so these are perfect containers.  These white containers are about the same size as a dish pan, maybe a little more shallow and they are STACKABLE!  One container might hold soup plus muffins for a quick meal.  One container might hold a main dish plus a veggie or a pasta dish plus garlic bread.  My goal is not to have to add anything to the contents of each container to make a meal.

• These little blue crates are fantastic for quart-sized freezer bags filled with marinated chicken breasts, marinated pork chops, one meal’s portion of meatballs, or one-pound packages of browned ground beef.  These crates would even fit in a side-by-side freezer or an above the fridge freezer.

You might be thinking the same thing my husband did when I brought these containers home. Won’t they take up too much space in the freezer? They do take up some space in the freezer, but to me, it was worth it to see what is available at a glance instead of haven’t to wade through mounds of frozen packages.

Other ways to stay organized:

• Use compartments.  When shopping for fridge/freezers look for products with compartments.  I love these drawers in our side-by-side freezer.  I use one for fruits/veggies and the other for meats like bacon, hot dogs, etc…

• Keep an inventory of what you have.  I keep track of my side-by-side and my extra freezer with a printable inventory on my indoor fridge.  It makes meal planning so easy, when I don’t have to dig to see what I have.  I use THIS inventory sheet from Organized Home.  It is simple…mark it when you put something in and “x” it out when you remove something.  There are a few other styles HERE and HERE that you may want to check out, too.

• Freeze foods flat.  Whether you are using pans or freezer bags, lay them flat.  Once frozen, stack the bags or slip them upright into crates for more space.

• Most importantly, do not forget this one….LABEL everything you put in the freezer!  At the very least, put the name of the contents on the bag or container.  I like to also include reheating directions so I don’t have to look it up when I’m ready to cook it up.

Find Joy on Facebook @ Fearless Freezer Cooking!

Joy is a stay-at-home wife & mother to two wonderful children.  She is a fourth generation freezer cook. Growing up with freezer cooking as a way of life made it hard for her to understand how folks could NOT use their freezers.  After being asked again and again for help, she started her Facebook page to give her tips & insight so that others will be Fearless Freezer cooks, too!

Freezer Organization is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

It happens to every household: once your kiddo is about 5 years old, “the plastic toy tide” begins to rise.

The small toys and bits and pieces from sets of LEGOs, Polly Pockets and various tiny toys begin to spill out of the child play spaces and an ocean of feet puncturing tiny thingamajigs flood the grown up spaces of your home!

You CAN fight it. There are ways to stuff the toy tornado back into a tamed play space environment.

5 Tips for Organizing and Containing the Toy Clutter

1.  Give ‘em Responsibility

Coaching kids on organizing their own gear in the first place is key to teaching them future responsibility skills (and keeping the clutter out of the living spaces!). Make sure there is a place for everything and help kids slow down and play with a few items at a time cleaning up before moving on. Make clean up a game—as Mary Poppins suggests! Use a timer for competitive personalities, and dress up as the ‘Cleanup Monster’ for creative tykes!

2.  Think Safety First

As older siblings become more interested in toys and games with smaller pieces, it’s important to pay attention to where those pieces land especially with toddlers around! Use a gate to corral the older kid and keep potentially choking-hazard toys away from the toddler. Another option is to only use the tiny toys during nap time of the younger sibling. Make it fun time for your ‘big kid’ by sitting down with them to play with marbles, magnet toys and other itty bitty baby no-nos!

3.  Travel Tips

Shared family spaces exist in more than just the home.

• Long Road Trips
• Airline Travel
• Restaurants
• Grandma and Grandpa’s house
• Beach House, or Vacation Rental/Hotel

It’s a given that kids will want to bring along family toys and gadgets on vacations, but they tend to take over the small spaces! Be judicious in what you choose to bring along. Precious toys might get lost, larger items won’t fit in luggage or store well in a tiny hotel room and think about toys that can double as a pillow on an airplane!

4.  It’s a Cinch…Literally

Use the patent pending Lay-n-Go or Lay-n-Go LITE activity mat and cleanup solution to keep the chaos contained, and encourage kids’ personal responsibility and safety all in one! The Lay-n-Go lays flat with a roomy 5+ feet of play space. With one cinch it transforms into a carryall and storage solution. So, kids can play for hours and cleanup in seconds!  (Bonus TIP: Use Lay-n-Go LITE on airplanes and at restaurants, keeping the area tidy and not loosing any precious pieces!)

5.  Make it a Fun Space they’ll WANT to Play in

If they love the play space they’ll want to be in it more, paint the playroom (or even an extra under the stairs space) bright fun colors and help their imagination go wild. Hire a budding artist to paint a mural on the wall, or paint one side in chalk board paint and let your own child become the budding artist!

About the Author:
Amy Fazackerley, mom of three young rambunctious boys, needed a solution to organizing the mountain of LEGOs growing in her living room. Sheets and bins weren’t cutting it and she invented the Lay-n-Go activity mat and cleanup solution (It’s a cinch…Literally!). She and her husband love finding new solutions to create a clutter free lifestyle for their family of five both at home and on-the-go. To learn more, visit them at www.layngo.com and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

When Kid’s Play Spaces Take Over YOUR Spaces! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

With the joy of being a mother and getting to love on your children comes the challenge of having to deal with all of their ‘stuff’! One of the biggest organizational challenges that I hear from other mothers is how to handle the children’s papers and art projects.  As a mom of six, believe me, I can sympathize!  Managing paper is almost as daunting and unforgiving a task as laundry in my home.  {Almost}

I think it helps to identify the type of paper you are organizing.  There are papers that require action and then there are papers that require filing or storage.  These need to be handled differently.

Action Papers

Papers that children might bring home that require action include: permission slips to complete; a party invitation that requires a phone call, and then a trip to the store for a gift; school newsletters or classroom announcements telling of an upcoming event or day off.

In order to ensure that you don’t miss anything, you need to first decide on ONE place for these papers to live.  In our house, the active papers live in ‘the brown box’ in my kitchen (pictured).  This box is also where all papers land when they come into our house, either via our mail box, backpacks, work briefcases, etc.  These bins are collapsible so I can, in theory, tuck them away (IF it was ever completely emptied).

I check book bags when the children first arrive home.  I like to act on anything I am able to act on immediately.  Often the only thing required of me is to sign something and return it.  That happens right then and I place right back in the child’s bag.

However, sometimes there is a need to check the calendar, or discuss something with a spouse or a child.  There may be a need to write a check for an activity, team, or field trip.  Other times there is paper that gives me information that I need, but that I don’t need right now.  Those are the things that I’ll put it in my box.

I go through my box weekly, usually on Sunday afternoons.  I admit, however, that sometimes I end up looking for a paper mid-week.  That is alright though; at least I know that it is in the box.

Papers Requiring Filing/Storage

Papers that do not require action should be kept for a pre-determined amount of time and then discarded.  Some examples of this type of paper include: completed everyday assignments, art projects, contact lists for teams, or schedules and calendars.   Here are a couple of ideas for how to take care of these types of papers:

You can use open file holders on the desk or counter top, perhaps with a folder for each child or each type of activity.  Use pretty file folders to give it a pop.

Consider setting up monthly “Reminder”  files – a file for every month, for upcoming events, reminders, deadlines, etc. more than a month away (birthday party ideas and gift ideas are great to pop into monthly reminder files).  Consider setting up a portable filing system (pictured) that can be moved from room to room to allow you to go through papers at your leisure.

Also, if your young Picasso’s artwork and projects are frequent, one idea is to save them all to review twice a school year – like at winter break and again once the school year is over.  At that time, have your child pick their top 10.  To keep those pictures in between your review times, consider housing these pieces in colorful document boxes on a shelf that allows easy access for them to add to and/or look through.

Another great idea is to take a picture of the artwork or project.  You can print up and keep the photo as a memory (then you can toss the big cumbersome original).  Alternatively, you can create a memory book online by uploading these pictures to one of the numerous photo service companies.

My personal favorite product for displaying my children’s artwork isn’t even a Clever Container product (are you shocked?!)  The product I use (and love!) is those picture frames that allow you to display one piece of artwork while storing a bunch more within the frame itself.  Genius!!  (http://www.dynamicframes.com/) I have four of these 9 x 12 and I have them in my long hallway – 2 hung portrait and 2 hung landscape (because the kids artwork can come home either way) I alternate the artwork displayed when they bring home special things they are proud of.

So, to recap: Action items are always contained in ONE location; Misc. papers are filed close at hand and attractively; and Artwork is displayed when possible, contained for a predetermined time, and then purged down to a reasonable amount a couple of times a year.

***************

For more information about Colleen and the Clever Container line of products please visit Colleen’s website.

Organizing Kid’s Papers and Art Projects is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Whether we’re organized or not, we all have food storage. It might not be pretty or large and we might not all use it to our advantage, but we all have it in our kitchens. Many of us organize our food storage in a way that makes sense to us, like pasta here or chips there, but did you know that your food storage is keeping a secret from you? It’s not just a little secret either, but it’s a pretty big secret that can drastically change how you and your family eat throughout the day.

So what is this secret?

The way you organize your food storage defines your eating habits.

That’s a pretty powerful statement, right? The way you organize your cupboards and make things accessible to yourself and your family defines how much and what you put into your body as fuel each day.

Let’s take an example and say that you have an unorganized pantry full of some healthy snack foods and some less healthy snack foods, but they aren’t labeled or placed in any strategic way. What are you likely to pick up? Whatever is in front or catches your eye straight away, right? You don’t think about health or nutrition. You see something in front of you and think, “That looks good” and start snacking away.

Now, on the other hand, let’s say you have a fully organized pantry, with a snack basket full of healthy options that you and your family members know they can go to when they need a little pick me up during the day. It’s placed at eye level in the front of the pantry. The less healthy options are placed in another basket for maybe “once in a while” or “when mom or dad approves” times and are higher up and out of sight. In this scenario, what will you and your family members grab for? What they know is allowed and right in front of them. The choices for the chips or candy aren’t a choice anymore, because they’re out of sight and off limits, reserved for “once in a while” or “when mom or dad approves.”

The same can be said for organizing your fridge or freezer. If you have designated areas where the healthy snack options are the only options, and the less healthy options aren’t front and center, you’re more likely to sway yourself and your family from eating those things on a regular basis.

If you feel like you’ve been tricked into eating unhealthily for a while because of your organization, here are a few tips for you:

• Create two snack baskets like Laura has shown us and place one front and center of your pantry and one front and center of your fridge.

• Fill your snack baskets with healthy options, like whole grain crackers, portioned sizes of granola, nuts, or trail mix, yogurt, cheese sticks, and fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Create a “once in a while” basket and place it up high and out of reach (maybe even from you, if you’re big on snacking!) filled with the goodies that you still enjoy, but don’t want to fill up on regularly.
• Move soda or other sugar-heavy drinks to the back of the fridge or in the door so water, milk, or juice becomes the first options seen when opening the door.

The goal is not to limit yourself or your family on the things that you enjoy, but it’s to help sway them into making and maintaining healthy eating habits. By putting your organizing skills to work, you’ll be one step closer to a healthy family.

Are you already using snack baskets in your pantry? How have you seen them change your family’s eating habits?

Rachael is the blogger behind KitchenCourses.com and is the author of How to Cook For Yourself and Kick Start Your Kitchen. She writes about her passion for food, eating well while saving money, and inspires people to get familiar with their kitchens and cook for themselves.

The Secret Your Food Storage is Keeping From You is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie