There are three main categories of files: reference, action, and archived.  Archived files are reference files that you no longer need to access on a regular basis, but you need to keep for tax, legal or historical purposes.  These files should be stored separately from your reference files to avoid using your “prime real estate” on documents that are seldom accessed.  If you have enough file storage space in your office, you can dedicate a drawer or set of drawers to your archived files.  Often times, the best location to store them is your basement.  My favorite storage solution is the clear stackable plastic file box.  These are inexpensive, portable, and stackable.  Put your hanging files in and label the outside with ‘Archived Files’ and the subject.   They can be stored in a closet, on a shelf, or even stacked on the ground.  Most homes would only need one or two of these.

Past tax papers are the most common type of file archived in homes.  In this example, the IRS recommends that you keep seven years of supporting documentation.  Each year after you file your taxes, add the new file to your archived file box and remove the oldest file.  In the event of an audit, you will be so happy that you know right where to find all the information you need.  Archiving files will also maximize your file space in your home office.

Donna Lindley, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc

These Ceramic Buffet Trays are a great addition to your next party or large gathering. Available in a set of three nesting trays, these Ceramic Buffet Trays come with raised metal stands to prevent heat damage to tables or counter tops. Each tray is safe for the oven, microwave, and dishwasher, letting you go from cooking to serving to cleaning in a snap.  The small stand measures 4 inches tall, medium stand measures 5 3/4 inches tall, and the large stand measures 7 3/4 inches tall.  The trays pictured feature our chrome finish, but we also carry Bronze Ceramic Buffet Trays and Satin Nickel Ceramic Buffet Trays.

These Multicolored Insulated Tumblers are a great addition to your cupboards or fun party. Available in a set of four, these tumblers are BPA free and hold up to 16 ounces of your favorite beverage.   This set comes with one green, one yellow, one blue, and one red cup, making it easier for kids or party guests to keep track of their cups.  These cups are top rack dishwasher safe, making clean-up a breeze.

Speaking of drinks, these Color Splash Martini Glasses are a bold way to enjoy your favorite cocktail.  Hand crafted, these glasses each feature a splash of color along the stem, allowing you to show your personality while being able to easily identify your glass from that of your guests. The splashes of color include Red, Blue, Green, and Black.  Each glass holds up to 12 fluid ounces.  Is wine your drink of choice?  Organize-It also has wine glasses in the same Color Splash style.

Add life to any party with these fun Party Lights. The flamingos and palm tree lights are great for any summer party or beach themed party.  These lights can be used both indoors and outdoors.   One string of ten lights is included.  We also carry some patriotic star lights, which would be great for Memorial Day or Fourth of July barbecues.

Speaking of patriotic, keep your tablecloths from lifting up in a heavy breeze with these American Flag Tablecloth Weights. Available in a set of four, these tablecloth weights are hand painted in red, white, and blue, and shaped in classic Fourth of July shapes.  Organize-It also carries decorative fish tablecloth weights and ant tablecloth weights.

Turn any empty wine bottle into an elegant candelabra with this Wrought Iron Wine Bottle Candle Holder.  Constructed from sturdy wrought iron to provide lasting beauty and quality, this candle holder has space for two tall candles and one tea light.  The rubber padded stem keeps this wine bottle candle holder secured firmly inside the neck of an empty wine bottle.

Display your favorite fruit in style with this fun and unique Watermelon Serving Bowl. Designed to look like half a watermelon that has been hollowed out, this watermelon bowl is perfect for summer picnics and barbecues  The large serving bowl is perfect for holding fruits and salads and with a 4 inch height and a 9 1/2 inch diameter it can hold up to 3 quarts of food. Made with sturdy earthenware and hand painted to create a unique look and feel, this watermelon fruit bowl is the perfect conversation starter at any social gathering. Hand wash only.  We also carry other watermelon-themed party supplies, like our dip bowl and spreading knife, deviled egg plate and insulated tumblers. 

Keep your home clean and beautiful with this Casabella Wet and Dry Disposable Cloth Sweeper. Capable of cleaning with both wet and dry cloths, this Wet and Dry Disposable Cloth Sweeper can be used on ceramic, hardwood, or linoleum floors. This Wet and Dry Disposable Cloth Sweeper comes with one wet and two dry cloths, allowing you to begin cleaning immediately!  Additional Casabella Wet Disposable Cloths and Casabella Dry Disposable Cloths are also available for purchase.

Keep your elegant countertops looking new and polished with Clean EnCounters Countertop Spray Cleaner. This efficient household cleaner comes in two sizes (8 ounce and 32 ounce) for tackling large jobs in the kitchen, and small jobs in the bathroom, and is perfect for cleaning any granite, marble, quartz, laminates and formica countertop surfaces.

The OXO Microfiber Duster with Extendible Reach is not your ordinary duster. After using this one, you will never want to go back to standard dusters. The 12 inch large microfiber dust mop head is large enough to cover a lot of territory, yet small enough to reach into corners. Duster head pivots 135 degrees and rotates 180 degrees, exposing clean surface.  Microfiber dusters attract dust better than other dusting products, reducing airborne dust, and eliminating the need for harsh chemicals. This one is also machine washable and will last a very long time.  The lightweight, aluminum handle extends from 24 to 54 inches, which is great for dusting ceiling fans and the tops of cabinets. Adjustments are made with a simple twist of the wrist.

Significantly reduce the indoor allergic symptoms caused by mites with Ultimate Mite Allergen Relief Spray. This spray effectively eliminates everything that mites feed off of, effectively killing them. The Ultimate Mite Allergen Relief Spray is safe to use on carpet, mattresses, and other fabric surfaces throughout the home, and leaves behind a fresh linen scent. Bottle contains 22 fluid ounces, contains no pesticides and is entirely safe to use around pets and children.  This long lasting formula protects for up to 30 days each use.

Clean the dust off your vents and other hard to reach places with this Nylon Vent Brush. This vent brush is 30 inches long with the bristles occupying 21 1/2 inches of the brush. The vent brush has nylon bristles that can be hand washed. This vent brush has a flexible core, which allows you to easily clean heating and air conditioning vents, under refrigerators, dryer lint traps and other hard to reach places. The handle of this vent brush has a soft rubber grip and a hole for easy hanging storage.

Unbeatable citrus power and a specially formulated cleaning solution combine to make Liquid Goo Gone Stain Remover one of the most reliable and versatile stain removes ever! Tackling everything from grease spots to gum in your carpeting, the Liquid Goo Gone Stain Remover will save you time, money and energy while removing stains at home, on clothing, or in vehicles. Perfect for use at home, the office, or in the RV.  The makers of Goo Gone have created three other formulas to help in removing tough stains and other messes:  Goo Gone Spray Gel, Goo Gone BBQ Grill Cleaner and Goo Gone Patio Furniture Cleaner.

Grab all of the dust on your shelves and counters in one swipe of your hand with this Microfiber Dusting Mitt. Coming in yellow and gray, this dusting mitt is made of microfiber chenille, which can grab dust from surfaces instead of pushing it around like traditional feather dusters. When this dusting mitt becomes too dingy, simply throw it in your washer for cleaning. This dusting mitt has a decorative fabric cuff adorned with polka dots to add a chic touch to this cleaning product. Even Donna Reed would be jealous.

The OXO Good Grips Expandable Wall-Mounted Organizer reduces clutter in any closet or garage. This expandable organizer expands from 15 to 24 inches and holds up to 12 items such as brooms, umbrellas, rakes, shovels, mops and more. The expanding mop and broom rack is a welcome addition to any home and helps organize all your long handle tools. Also works great in the garage to keep brooms, rakes and shovels neatly put away on any wall. A built-in level and mounting hardware are included for easy installation.

My last entry showed you how to use paper trays to help improve the flow of paper in your office.  Continuing with your home office, I would like to show you how to better organize your appointments. The saying, “a place for everything, and everything in its place” applies to appointments as well.  Too often, people try to maintain too many calendars.  Other mistakes include using no calendar at all (nobody’s memory is that good) and using the wrong calendar for them.  Here are some tips to help keep you on schedule:

How many calendars? – One of the most common mistakes I encounter with my clients is that they have too many calendars.  I’m not sure which is worse, too many calendars or none at all.  The key is simplicity.  The more calendars you have, the more places you have to check, update, and maintain.  It is very easy for them to get out of sync, causing you to miss important appointments.  I recommend using the fewest number of calendars possible, optimally one.  Organize-It.com has a variety of calendars and planners to choose from that will surely suit your personal needs.

Paper vs. Electronic? – With all of the electronic gadgets out there, many people feel the pressure to go electronic.  While these tools provide many wonderful, time-saving features, they may not be right for you.  A paper-based calendar can be just as effective.  Analyze your needs to determine which type of calendar is best for you.  If you are on the go a lot, an electronic solution is a great choice.  It allows you to carry your contacts, tasks, and appointments all in the palm of your hand.  If you are a stay at home mom, a large wall calendar might be the answer.  It gives you a lot of space for each day and allows everyone easy access to the family schedule.  A daily planner that you can keep with you is a great choice if you don’t like looking at the small screen.

Appointments vs. To-Dos – Your time management requirements fall into two categories: appointments and to-dos.  An appointment is tied to a particular time and place, such as meetings, doctor appointments, car-pools, etc.  The best way to organize your appointments is to record them in your calendar.  To-Dos are items that need to get done, but when you do them is at your discretion.  To-dos are best organized on a to-do list which is reviewed daily.  Do not use your calendar to track your to-do items.

Write It down – How many times have you laid awake at night worrying about forgetting something important?  Many people attempt to keep track of these things in their heads. Although it works for some, most of the time it fails, resulting in missed appointments.  Write it down!

Check Often – No matter how diligent you are about writing things down in your calendar, if you don’t refer back to it on a regular basis, it will not be an effective time management tool.  Get into the habit of checking your calendar regularly.

Follow these tips to stay on schedule!

Donna Lindley, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc.

BEFORE

My boyfriend and I moved into our apartment in June 2012.  One of the biggest selling points was the amount of storage and closet space available.  Of course, as we soon found out, we had a lot more stuff than we thought, and that storage space fills up quick.  We made due with what we had, but the hustle and bustle of everyday life always prevented us from really organizing our linen closet.  A couple of weeks ago, after rummaging through the closet while cleaning the rest of the apartment, I finally had enough and decided to actually do something about the clutter.

AFTER

As the before photo showed, there was no real order to our closet.  Health and beauty items, towels and cleaning supplies were just thrown in there to be “out of sight, out of mind”.  After utilizing some of OrganizeIt.com’s shelf dividers and storage bins, our linen closet looks 100 times better, and now we can actually find things right away.

Top Shelf – BEFORE

Top Shelf – AFTER

Just by looking at the before photo, it was obvious that the top shelf was in dire need of organizing.  There was no order, whatsoever.  I used three different types of storage bins to store and organize this shelf.  The 6 Inch x 6 Inch Clear Plastic Storage Bin was used to store various bags of cough drops (as seen on the left) and all of our toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste (as seen on the right).  Behind the toothbrushes and toothpaste is a 10 Inch x 8 Inch Clear Plastic Storage Bin that is holding various vitamins and other medicine.  Behind the cough drops, is a 10 Inch x 4 Inch Clear Plastic Storage Bin containing facial cleanser.  The storage bins created more storage space in the middle of the shelf, where I was actually able to put our first aid kit, which was stored under our bathroom sink, because there wasn’t enough space in the closet.

Second Shelf – BEFORE

Second Shelf – AFTER

Like the top shelf, our second shelf was incredibly disorganized.  Fortunately, most of the same items provided some great storage solutions   The 6 Inch x 6 Inch Clear Plastic Storage Bin was used to store bottles of rubbing alcohol and other extra first aid items, as well as dry dusting cleaning supplies (located in the back left corner of the shelf).  I got rid of the bulky boxes our dusting supplies came in and just put them in the bin, which created more shelf space.  The 10 Inch x 8 Inch Clear Plastic Storage Bin was used to store different cleanser bottles, while the 10 Inch x 4 Inch Clear Plastic Storage Bin was used to store the small paper cups used in our bathroom cup dispenser.  A new item that was used on this shelf was the Iris Medium Stacking Bins to store cotton swabs and some sticks of deodorant, which was a great way to utilize vertical storage on this shelf.

Third Shelf – BEFORE

Third Shelf – AFTER

The best part about going through the linen closet was throwing away items that were old or that were not being used.  There were a bunch of old, bleach-stained towels that we got rid of on this third shelf.  After getting rid of the crummy towels, I used one of our Chrome Shelf Dividers to help separate bath towels from our dish towels.  The shelf divider simply slides on to the shelf bottom, requiring no hardware for instillation.  The shelf dividers that were used come in a pack of two, which leads me to…

Fourth Shelf – BEFORE

Fourth Shelf – AFTER

The fourth shelf!  Like the third shelf, the fourth shelf housed towels, but it was also a dumping ground for random tools, bits of hardware and other accessories.  The second Chrome Shelf Divider was used to separate bath towels from hand towels, while the Iris Medium Stacking Bins used on the second shelf were utilized to organize the various screws and tools used to assemble our living room furniture.

Bottom Shelf – BEFORE

Bottom Shelf – AFTER

Like the fourth shelf, the bottom shelf became a dumping ground for random things, like protein powder…because it totally makes sense to put protein powder in the linen closet.  To make storage clean and simple, I put an Extra Large Mesh Basket on the bottom shelf to hold various paper products (towels and napkins) and our small portable hand-vac.  The basket definitely helps keep everything together and makes the bottom shelf look more in order than what it was.

The Large Acrylic Jewelry Chest and Necklace holder is a great all-in-one jewelry box that would be perfect for the jewelry collector in your life. This jewelry organizer features seven removable, padded storage drawers for holding smaller jewelry pieces, a total of 10 necklace hooks in two swing-open side doors, and is made entire with crystal clear acrylic to keep jewelry on display and easy to locate.

Make it easier to carry cosmetics, jewelry, and more while you travel when you have this 7 Compartment Makeup Case. This makeup case comes in four colors/designs:  Zebra print (shown above), Embossed Silver, Red Snakeskin print and Embossed Black.  This 7 Compartment Makeup Case is large enough to hold all of your jewelry, cosmetics, hair supplies, and more. This 7 Compartment Makeup Case has seven compartments, six smaller pull out trays and a large bottom compartment, to let you store and organize everything you need to get ready for a special occasion.

Store and display your favorite wine bottles like a work of art with the ultra contemporary Wall Mount Stainless Steel Vertical Wine Rack. This vertical wine rack lets the wine rest horizontally, keeping the corks moist in order to allow for better aging. Each ring on the storage rack is lined with high-grade plastic for a secure hold. A stunning twist on conventional wine racks, this bottle holder provides storage for up to 8 bottles and instantly becomes the focal point of a bar or wine cellar decor.

Store your jewelry on your dresser in this beautiful Silver Beaded Jewelry Box. This jewelry box has a sliding lock to keep the lid closed during travel, and features decorative beading to catch the eye. This Silver Beaded Jewelry Box is 1 inch deep, and measures 7.5 by 5 inches on the inside. The Silver Beaded Jewelry Box is a classic place to store all of your rings, necklaces, and bracelets where they can be easily accessed.

Organize your make-up and vanity supplies with this Make-Up Carousel available in hot pink. This makeup organizer and storage solution allows you to hold a variety of make-up, brushes and many other beauty accessories. The lazy susan design of this make-up carousel brings an element of space saving to your bathroom closet or countertop, allowing you to spin it to access everything you need. Also great for crafts, toiletries or to hold and organize any small items.  This makeup organizer comes in three colors:  Hot Pink (shown above), Rose and Cream.

Usually the items that pile up do so because they don’t have a home.  Don’t leave any of your papers in your office “homeless” and piling up.  Paper Trays are the first tool to help organize your office.  Fortunately, OrganizeIt.com has a variety of paper trays to choose from, whether you prefer plastic, metal mesh orbamboo construction.  There is no set blueprint for what an office should look like – the key is having homes for things.  Since most offices have paper coming in and out, and some files at a minimum (even if they have gone paperless), here is what I recommend to get you started with paper trays:

• Inbox– It is imperative that you have a physical inbox in your office where you can put new items.  This could be mail, meeting notes, papers from school, etc.  You can’t always process them immediately, so you need to have a home for them until you can.  When you do have a few minutes, you will know right where to go.  You need to dedicate time to check this tray at least once each day.

• Outbox – Dedicate a paper tray as your outbox.  This gives you a spot for the items that are ready to leave your office (e.g. out-going mail, notes for school, etc.)

• ‘To File’ Tray – This tray provides a spot for the papers or files that need to be filed.  They might come from your inbox, or they could be papers or files that had been pulled and need to be re-filed.  Consider stacking three trays for your inbox, outbox and ‘To File’ trays to save space on your desktop.

In addition to the trays mentioned above, other uses for paper trays include: papers to scan, papers to shred, or printer paper (colored, white, 3-hole punched, letterhead).  You will be amazed at what a difference these little paper trays can make.

Donna Lindley is a Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc.

Didn’t get that dream closet or pantry for Christmas this holiday season? Is part of your New Year’s Resolution to become more organized? You are in luck, because all freedomRail wire shelving, solid shelving, O-boxes, accessories, brackets, uprights and rails are currently 20% off at OrganizeIt.com. Sale ends 1/31/2013!

Kitchen cabinets can easily become cluttered.  Prevent that clutter with this Slide-Out Cabinet Organizer Basket.  This Slide-Out Cabinet Organizer Basket is an excellent pull-out basket for organizing and increasing the space-efficiency of your kitchen cabinets while making items stored at the back of the cabinets easy to access. Featuring heavy-duty metal construction and ball-bearing driven glides that provide smooth, easy slide-out action, this kitchen cabinet organizer basket requires a minimum opening of 16 inches wide x 17 1/2 inches high x 22 1/2 inches deep and is designed to fit over the half shelf built into many kitchen cabinets.

All of those outdoor tools tend to just lean up against the wall of your garage, creating the potential for those items to fall over and cause a mess.  The 36 inch Ultra-Hold Tool Rack will organize your garage in a snap. This sturdy garage wall organizer can hold lawn and garden tools along with brooms, hand tools and more. Now you can take those shovels, rakes, and brooms that are leaning in the corner of your garage, and organize them on the wall. Great for the garage or anywhere you keep your tools.

For laundry rooms that lack hanging and sorting space, this Rolling Laundry Center is a great solution.  This laundry cart features three removable cotton canvas laundry bags for easy sorting, a garment rod for hanging ironed clothing, and four casters for smooth mobility.

Keep writing utensils, paper clips, post-it notes, and more conveniently within reach at your desktop with this Carousel Organizer. This desktop organizer features six large compartments with lids which rotate 360 degrees, providing easy access to frequently needed items like markers, rubber bands, and sticky notes. Ball bearing driven rotation gives this carousel organizer smooth and easy operation whether it’s used on an office desktop, in a classroom, or in an arts and crafts workshop.

Safely store all of your makeup, soap, shampoo and other toiletry accessories in the Hanging Cosmetic and Toiletries Travel Organizer. When fully opened, this travel organizer has two small zipper plastic compartments, one medium mesh compartment and one large plastic compartment with two zipper entries. In addition to those compartments, this travel organizer also has three open elastic compartments, perfect for storing travel size bottles of shampoo or body wash, and one elastic storage band with eight loops, perfect for storing mascara, lipstick or travel containers of cotton swabs. This travel organizer converts into a 12 inch wide carrying case with a handle.

Keep your scheduled appointments organized with this Dry Erase Glass Weekly Planner. With enough space for each day to write multiple appointments, this Dry Erase Glass Weekly Planner comes with a dry erase marker and two strong magnets to hold photos, coupons, and more. The tempered glass resists breakage, ensuring that you will be able to use this Dry Erase Glass Weekly Planner for years to come.

This Magnetic Dry Erase Calendar Board is an excellent wall calendar for planning out and staying on top of deadlines, appointments, birthdays, holidays, and more. This magnetic dry erase calendar has a decorative wood frame, a dry erase marker with magnetic clip, and two small magnets for posting notes, reminders, phone messages, and more.

This Dry Erase Calendar with Marker is an excellent wall calendar for keeping track of the month’s upcoming events, appointments, deadlines, and more. This dry erase wall calendar comes with a dry erase marker that clips to the frame for convenient updating and includes individual spaces for detailed planning for thirty-five days at a time, plus one column with thirty-one lines for making notes on the upcoming month.

Conveniently monitor and manage your schedule throughout the entire year with a 2013 Large Print Weekly Planner. This handy personal planner offers ample space for detailed scheduling for every single day of the year in an easy to read, large and bold type format, making it perfect for the elderly or individuals with vision impairments. Planner ships with either a navy, burgundy or black cover.

Keep your schedule up-to-date and attractive with the Medium 2013 Two-Tone Time Master Planner. This 6.5 by 8 inch planner has tabbed monthly sections so you can find the page you want quicker. The wire bound pages include space for personal information, addresses, phone numbers, and two-page spreads for your week-to-week schedule. Each day of the week has an hourly breakdown so you can be as specific with your plans as possible.

Hang your academic year on the wall with the 2012-2013 17-Month Academic Wall Calendar. This 22 x 17 inch wall calendar includes 17 months to accommodate for the academic year. Perfect in a dorm room or office, this calendar offers 2.5  x 3.5 inches of ruled space to write each day’s events.

Transform your favorite wall calendar into a distinct decorative home accent with the Black Wrought Iron Calendar Frame. This wall calendar frame can accommodate hanging calendars up to 14″ wide and 24″ tall, and features an elegant black wrought iron design that includes a built-in mesh pocket to hold mail, keys and more.  Sure, this item is more of a calendar accessory, but who says you can’t add some decor to your life?

Make setting up and taking down your artificial Christmas tree quick and easy with the Rolling Christmas Tree Storage Bag.  This handy holiday storage accessory features over 17 cubic feet of storage space and three ball bearing driven wheels that make transportation of your Christmas tree to and from storage easy and convenient.  This Christmas tree storage bag is constructed of heavy-duty polyester with a PVC end for extra strength which will protect your expensive artificial Christmas tree from moisture and dust.

This Upright Christmas Tree Storage Bag attaches to your existing tree stand and simply pulls up from the ground to enclose your Christmas tree for safe storage. Designed to accommodate Christmas trees up to 7 1/2 feet tall, this Christmas tree storage bag features durable side handles to make carrying your tree to and from storage easy and convenient.

Protect and preserve your artificial holiday wreath with the Wreath Storage Bag with Direct Suspend Handle.  This holiday wreath storage bag features an innovative direct suspend design which allows you to preserve the shape of your wreath by keeping it from being compressed against the bottom of the bag. This wreath storage bag accommodates up to 36 inch diameter wreaths and provides safe, crush free storage to makes you artificial wreaths last for years to come.

Safely store and protect your delicate strands of Christmas lights and garland during the off season with the Iris Christmas Light Storage Box.  This plastic storage container features four plastic spools that fit neatly into the slots in the walls of the storage box to wind Christmas string lights, garland, and extension cords making the hassle of tangled Christmas lights a thing of the past.

This Ornament Keeper Christmas Ornament Storage Box from TreeKeeper provides a convenient way to safely store and protect up to 72 Christmas ornaments in one compact storage box. Featuring three fabric-lined removable trays with handles, this Christmas ornament storage box also includes a large zippered pouch on the front sized perfectly to accommodate your tree skirt.

Easily store up to 27 Christmas ornaments in this Christmas Ornament Storage Box. This ornament storage unit features adjustable dividers that allow you to store different sized ornaments. In addition, the plastic window in the front of the storage unit makes it easy to see which ornaments are stored in the box.

Conveniently organize and store all your gift wrapping essentials in one place with our Hanging Gift Wrap Organizer. This wrapping paper organizer features an array of mesh storage pockets and pouches that hold wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, labels, and even your tape and scissors in one compact, tidy hanging organizer.

Conveniently store your gift wrapping supplies in one convenient, out of the way location with the Over the Door Wrapping Paper Storage Bag. This gift wrap organizer features storage space for twelve rolls of gift wrap up to 40 inches in length and a gift wrap toolbox that is great for keeping gift wrap supplies like scissors, ribbons, and gift tags within easy reach. The included over the door hanger makes this holiday accessory a real space saver and heavy-duty canvas construction ensures years of use.