Get Organized in 2014 - Start with an Index card

As so many of you already know I believe that 90% of getting anything done is making it easy.  Even difficult tasks can be broken down into easy steps.

If one of your goals this year is to be more organized and accomplish more, try reducing and simplifying your daily "to-do" list.

Reduce the size - switch from using a full sized sheet of paper to a small 3x5 index card.

If you choose to use the colored index cards it will be easier to find the card on your desktop, in your purse, briefcase, etc.  For men, a small index card fits easily into your breast pocket. If it will fit in your phone case - even better!

Simplify - break your day down into - just 2 or 3 parts.  For me, it's 2 parts, Before Lunch and After Lunch.  Some people use morning  (before 10) mid-day (10-2) and afternoon (2-EOD). Put the 2 or 3 most important things you need to get done on the list and nothing else.

 Carry the card with you, put it on your computer keyboard, or your telephone, - each time you feel like you need to do something other than what is on your list, tell yourself, "I'll do it when my list is complete" and resist.  Complete the list first, then do whatever you want to do.

The end result will be that the important things get done , and the things that are unimportant just evaporate.  The majority of your day is most likely spent doing things that don't really matter in an attempt to avoid committing to what needs to get done.  Once you commit and see the results, you'll be amazed at how much more productive you can be in so much less time.

Errands - YIKES
 Running errands can suck up tons of time, cost you extra money and be the source of lots of frustration.  Make regular errands a regular part of each day.  Monday - Grocery, Tuesday - Dry Cleaning, Wednesday - Target.....etc.
On Sunday night create your index cards for the week, just put the date on the front, on the back put the errand list.  As you think of things you need at the grocery or Target add them to the list.  Once you get yourself into a routine you'll become a better planner - saving money and TIME!!!

Wishing you a peaceful and simple 2014,
Tiffany

Are you a crafter?  We'll start our next Get Organized Challenge on January 21st.  It's fun, it's Free and you'll feel FABULOUS once you get your craft supplies organized.  Click here for details.

More about The Expedit System

 Several questions popped up after my post yesterday. 
 Yes, you can store your ScrapRack Spinders in the Expedit, they can be stored standing up or laying flat.  I have a couple of Spinders with extra pages on them that are in one of the cubes.

The Dividers are a little too large and will curl up on the edges if you try to cram them into a cube.

 

The Casters that are shown in yesterday's post are part of the system and designed to go on the cube system.  IKEA only recommends using them with cubes that are 1 or 2 cubes high. 

 

As far as I know, all of the IKEA stores carry the EXPEDIT System and it is available to order on line.

Thanks for reading today's post!

Tif

Expedit from IKEA - Perfect for Crafters

This week I received several emails inquiring about the IKEA Expedit system. I thought I'd take a few minutes and share with you, what I love about it.
Expedit is a cube system.  It comes in several different cube configurations - I love that!
I used the 5 high cube system, laid it on it's side, and added casters.
This was the perfect length to hold my double ScrapRack system and my Pazzles cutter - I love that!
The casters allow me to have my ScrapRack right next me, but when I need the cutter, I can just roll the shelf back and Voila! the Pazzles cutter is in easy reach - I love that!
The system is better made then most of the other "cube" systems out there - I love that!
It costs less than the lesser quality cubes too - I REALLY Love that!  My 5 cube shelf was $59.99.  If memory serves me correctly a single Jetmax cube is $29.99 - almost $150 for 5.
The Expedit cubes are approximately 13x13 which means there's plenty of room for my Paper Storage boxes - I love that!
So, what's not to love?  I don't know, because quite honestly I love everything about this system.
See the Expedit system for yourself at IKEA - Click Here.

This is my 5 cube system tipped on it's side.  It's a little bit messy at the moment, but it's so easy to use.  I'm even able to fit 3 of our small craft cases in one cube. 

Paper Organization - Scrapbooking, Cardmaking, Rubberstamping

As we get into summer, I'm going to do some mini-classes and combine them with a product special.  Each week we will try to focus on one small aspect of organization and highlight the products that might best solve those problems.

 

This week we are revisiting Paper Organization.  Its so easy to be overwhelmed by Paper.  I've found in talking with people at the Scrapbook Shows and Conventions that we sometimes "overthink" organizing our paper.  With paper, follow the same 4 Section System - actually only 3 sections because you can eliminate the Alpha-Numeric section - Themes, Calendar Year, and the Rainbow. If you haven't already created at Themes List, you'll need to do that first.  If you need a little help, connect with our Get Organized Challenge Group on Facebook.  You'll find lots of Themes Lists posted there.  The video will take you through the rest of the process. I hope you find it helpful.

 Down Load the Article to get step by step instructions. Click Here.
Shop our Weekly Special Now - Click Here The Paper Storage Combo Kit has everything you need to get started with Paper Organization.  This week the kit is on sale for $62.  You'll save $15.00.

 

Have questions?  Please feel free to call or email us.  CustomerService@TheScrapRack.com or 1-866-226-1311.

Thanks for stopping by,
Tif

Towel Toss Challenge

Last week my son went into the hall closet and grabbed a towel to take to school.  It wasn't just any towel he was in search of, it was a "Finding Nemo" beach towel that has been in our family for, ohhhh, probably 10 years.  This particular towel is a favorite towel not because of the adorable "Nemo," but because it is long and wide and SUPER thin.  The "thin" factor translates to "easy to fit in a backpack" and "dries quickly."   The towel went to school, came home and ended up in the laundry. You may think this isn't worth mentioning, but if you have teenage boys, you know that when something that was used for gym class makes it into the laundry before it becomes the source of eye-watering odor, it's nothing short of a miracle.
  Fast forward to the towel getting washed, dried, folded and carried upstairs to be put away.  When I opened the closet to return the "Nemo" towel to it's place on the shelf, I discovered that every towel in the closet had been disrupted, unfolded, wadded back up, and shoved into the closet.  My initial reaction was to call forth my 15 year old son and task him with the job of returning the closet to it's normal order.  However, as I looked into the closet I realized, I had towels that hadn't been used in the 3 years since we moved into this house.  The idea for the Towel Toss was born! 
  When I moved into this house I started keeping all of the towels in a glass cabinet in the bathrooms - it easy to keep things neat when you have to "look" at them.  I also started keeping all of the bed linens in the bedrooms where they would be used.  This linen closet, was filled with things from the old house that I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to use in the new house.  Well, 3 years later, I have the answer....and 3 garbage bags full of donations.
  This week your goal is to visit the linen closets, towel cupboards, and drawers where your towels are stacked, stuffed, and stored - and throw away, donate, etc. at least 10 percent of your towel stash.  If you haven't gone through all of your towels at the same time this goal will be easier than you think.  Stained, Frayed, Ripped, Faded, Bleached.....these could all be reasons to move towels to your Goodwill box.  It might help to decide how many towels you actually "Need" before you begin this process.  I actually found that I had nearly 20 kitchen towels.  Even during the Christmas baking season 20 is excessive for me.   Another thing that might help you "purge" your excessive towels is to ask yourself - "Would I be embarrassed if a house guest used this towel?"
How to go about this Challenge:
Get a Garbage Bag and a Donate Bag
Set your purge goal.
Start at the towel storage area that is the "furthest out" in your home. (For some reason it's always easier to complete a task for me if I plan my route.  At my house, I did - The Linen Closet, Kids Bathroom, Kitchen, then My Bathroom.)
Remove all of the towels from the closet, cupboard, drawer, etc. 
Anything that doesn't meet your criteria for condition gets put into the Donation or Garbage bag depending on the condition.
If you find that you're "stuffing" towels into their assigned spaces, (as I was with kitchen towels), you may need to re-evaluate your purge plan/goal and increase it.

Refold, restack and then replace the towels where they belong.
Load the donate bag into your car.
Deliver it to the closest donation station.

Congratulate yourself on a job well done and celebrate with a treat on the way home - DQ Blizzard, Starbucks Salted Carmel Latte, maybe even a pedicure. 

Thanks for stopping by today.
Please feel free to share your comments about this challenge.  I'd love to hear from you!
Tif

Purge Patrol - Love it more when you have less!

 If the very idea of eliminating something that is still useful induces nausea or gives you hives, rest assured you’re not alone.  There are many reasons we have trouble getting rid of “stuff”:

1.       We’ve attached to that stuff/thing “emotionally”.

2.       We don’t want to be wasteful -  financially, ecologically, or just generally .

3.       We have a huge fear that at some point this particular item might be “PERFECT” and if we throw it away now we could be jeopardizing some major crafting success in the future.

Before you can address these concerns, you have to first identify your goals in getting organized.  Identifying your goals will result in a huge increase in your “Want” Power.
Keep your goal simple – one or two sentences at the most, i.e.; “I want to be more organized so I can spend more time crafting – less time digging and searching for supplies.”  “I want to be able to get 10 pages done in a weekend;  that will feel great, I’ll be the envy of all my friends, my husband will be so proud of me...”    Commit your simple goal to memory and/or write it down and post it where you can see it regularly. 
The simple truth is; the more you have, the longer it takes to find what you need.  Many times, this translates to:  using what’s closest/easiest.  This isn’t only true in your craft supplies, it’s true all over your home/life.  If you have 6 sets of sheets, you probably take the set off the top of the pile, when you remake your bed.  If you have a pile of 20 T-Shirts, you probably wear one of the first 3-4. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the male world. My sons would prefer to;  go down to the laundry room, pull the top shirt off their laundry pile, put it on and head to school rather than carrying the pile upstairs and putting their laundry away – “they’re just going to end up on top of the dryer again in a day or two mom, why do we need to do the extra steps?”  (Let me apologize to their future wives now – I’m doing the best I can.)
Now that we’ve got the backstory, let’s move on . 
If your goals are driving you to become more organized, there’s a significant chance that you need to rid yourself of some “stuff.”  If you don’t think there is anything in your craft supply collection that you can live without, stop reading here and start crafting!
For the rest of you – follow these easy steps.

ü  Create a purge box. (I use a paper storage box because it is tall and narrow)

ü  Identify a final resting place for your “purge.”  (I give to the local Children’s Hospital)

ü  Put the box somewhere that is EASILY ACCESSIBLE. (Mine is under my desk next to the trash can – always within arm’s reach.)

Let’s go back and revisit the reasons we have trouble getting rid of stuff.

1.       Emotionally attached – you’ll be able to remedy this “attachment” by using emotional transference. Choose a person, group, charity that will appreciate the items as much as you do. This makes it far easier to let them go.  In my case the Children’s Hospital where my youngest son spent the first 2 weeks of his life.

2.       Wastefulness – The money has already been spent, if I may be so bold as to say, the money has already been “wasted.”  Keeping products around that you won’t use, is now creating additional waste; Your Space, Your Time, and Your Energy…are just a couple of examples.  In the right hands or in the right can, these products will no longer be “wasting” stuff.   If money is your biggest concern, bag these items up and sell them by the pound on ebay, or simply take the tax deduction for donating them to your favorite charity.

3.       Future Crafting Success – what about your crafting success in the present?  If you’re not getting things done because you’re too busy “searching” through things you don’t need, to find the things you want to use – you’re sacrificing sure success today, for possible success in the future – does that make any sense?  No.

Let the Purging begin!
Whether you’re doing a major “Organization Project” like the Get Organized Challenge, or you’re just hoping to implement better systems as you move forward,  the Purge box will aid your success.  As you come across products in your supply collection you’ll have a variety of different reactions:
“Wow, this is outdated.” – Easy to put into your purge box.
“Gee this is ugly – I wonder what motivated me to buy it?” – Into the Purge Box.
“What would I ever use this for?” – If you’ve got an answer put it into the correct section of your 4 Section System, if there’s no answer, you guessed it – Purge Box.

As you work in your craft area, every time you put your hands on something, ask yourself – “What would I use this for?”  Then put it away or Purge it away.  If you get really stuck you can enlist your “Want Power” by asking yourself -  “How will keeping this item move me closer to my goal?, Move me closer to what I WANT?”

Good Luck and Please let me know how your Purging Progresses!
Post on our Facebook Page – click here
Email me at: CustomerService@TheScrapRack.com with Purge Progress in the Subject line.
Thanks for stopping by,
Tif

The World Wide Sock Sort

I was going to call this challenge the “Great American Sock Sort” but then I realized we have readers all over the world, so the World Wide Sock Sort it is – this we’re  thinking globally, but acting locally – right in our own bedrooms.

The goal this week is to eliminate any socks that are un-wearable, (holes and such) any socks that are lonely (missing mates), socks that are too small, too big, too ugly,…..etc., and to arrange the socks you have into an easily accessible organizer.

What you’ll need:
A garbage bag
A donate bag
Possible gas mask – if you have teenage boys
At least one sock organizer per dresser – maybe more
Time: 20-30 minutes

What is a Sock Organizer?

  A Sock Organizer can be anything you’ll use to keep your socks in place in the drawer.  You can buy then everywhere from the Wal-Mart to Ikea.  You can also use things you may already have around your home like regular shoe boxes.  The depth of your drawers might dictate the right sorter for you.  I’m a bigger advocate of the things that are rectangular in shape than the diamond shape type of organizer.  I just think it is “easier” to fill the rectangle or square more efficiently than the diamond.

Step 1 - Do all the laundry.

  This is important because you want to be confident that all of the socks have been washed and are in the correct rooms.

Step 2 – Plan your route

I started in the laundry room.  I took the sock basket, which had a few strays after doing the laundry, and headed into the furthest away bedroom.  I love moving around on a “mission” and having a route feels that way.  Plus if you stay the course, you’ll leave a completed room behind. Ahhhh, nice.

Step 3 – Empty the drawer

 Its quick work to empty a sock drawer and determine what is “wearable” – the unwearables go into the garbage bag.  The old Baseball socks, Soccer socks, etc. that have been hanging around my kids drawers since grade school went into the “donate” bag.  Other items that joined them in the donate bag were “gift socks”.  You know these types of socks, the colors, textures, fabrics, prints, designs….etc. that are just not your style – but they were a gift of some sort and you felt obligated to keep them – DONATE!!! 

 The donate bag should also be the lucky recipient of gift socks that you love, but you’ve NEVER, and most likely will never, wear.  If you were given a pair of pink socks with Bling around the cuff, 5 years ago, and you think they’re adorable, but they just aren’t “you” – but you’re torn because you love them and your favorite aunt sent them to you, and blah, blah, blah – either donate them or “re-gift” them to someone who will wear them.

  If you’re having trouble, try to think about how much easier it will be to find the socks you want to wear when you don’t have to dig past the socks you’ll never wear.  Think about how much easier it will be to put the laundry away when you don’t have to constantly rearrange things you don’t wear.

  As you sort through, pull out the wearables, and set them aside.  It will be fastest and easiest to reload the drawer if you can start with empty.

Empty the drawer.	Holey socks go in the garbage.

Step 4 – Organize

  Socks definitely come in different styles and have different uses.  Just like other things, you want to keep things together that go together.   Short gym socks, long gym socks, hiking socks, dress socks….etc.  The nice thing about things you wear constantly  - gym socks or black dress socks, is that they can be “stacked” .  Stacking is the most space efficient way to store socks, it’s very visible, accessible and doesn’t add any wear and tear to the elastic in the sock.  

“To ball or not to ball” – I’m not an advocate of “sock balling”.  Besides that fact that it takes up more space, things like holes, stains, and mis-matches are often concealed when socks are in a ball.  I’m a folder.  Besides the other things mentioned about balling, when you fold your socks, you always get the matching length – for some women it’s knee highs, for men it’s dress socks, for me it’s hiking socks.  These types of socks all look the same, yet come in different lengths. Folding them insures that they are perfectly matched with their mate of length (did I mention I’m a little obsessive.)

Step 5 – Set some limits
  This sounds a little bit silly, “Set your sock limit.”  Keep in mind that the reason you want to be more organized is so that your life is easier, less frustrating, not overwhelming, faster, more efficient, etc.  Whatever your reason(s), and you may have others – when you have too much, when you have more than you need (this is individually relative), you won’t meet that goal.  Ask yourself, how many pairs of gym socks do you need?  If you wear one pair a day to work out, and you do laundry twice a week, you could probably be happy with 4 pairs of gym socks, keep 7 to be safe.  This will make it even easier to “thin the sock herd.”    Define the amount of space, the number of socks, etc.  For me – I limit my regular wear socks to one Ikea sorter.  “Special socks” like ski socks are stored with the things I use them with, i.e. my ski pants, jacket, hat, and socks are all stored together. 
Step 6 – Put your socks away

 

Before you start refilling your sock drawer, think first about which socks you use all the time.  Which socks you use less frequently.  Be sure you are putting the most used socks in the easiest to access, and easiest to reload location in your sock drawer. 

Shoe boxes make execellent sock sorters if your drawers are deep enough.