Start Procrastination Week With 3 More Ways to Organize With Evernote

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Organizing your home and life with EvernoteWith this week being National Procrastination Week, what better way to kick procrastination to the curb than to provide you with 3 more ways you can get organized with Evernote.

1.      Workout Schedules

With all the time you’re bound to save from organizing the rest of your life, you may have time to hit the gym. For people who want to workout but can never find the time or don’t know where to start, check out this article.

http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2013/01/04/join-evernote-and-fitness-ambassador-chad-williams-for-a-2013-fitness-challenge/

That takes care of the how. As for the when, Evernote can be integrated with Google calendar so that you can visualize when to do what.

2.      Google Calendar

Expanding upon the previous point, a great way to stay organized is to post Google Calendar events to Evernote as notes. Every event you make note of can be synced across all your devices, be it your trip to the gym, your kids’ extracurricular events or your down time with your significant other.

3.      Photos of Boxes with Listed Contents

Going back to that daunting task of organizing your house physically, on top of everything else it’s capable of doing, there are ways Evernote can help organizing your house too.  While the application can’t offer an extra set of hands, it can help you stay organized in the future once the dirty work is done. Try this:

  • Organizing contents into boxes that are clearly labeled
  • Take pictures of these boxes in which the labels are visible
  • Title the pictures of the boxes accordingly with the labels on the boxes
  • Add a list of contents as a note

From now on, if you’re ever looking for an old jacket, a toy, or any household item, you’ll be able to search for it in Evernote and then locate the box.

So here you have 3 more ways to start the process of organizing your lifestyle. While Evernote is a simple organizational tool, the level of organization depends on you and your creativity in terms of using the app to cater to your needs. Have fun and good luck!

 

3 Ways To Organize Your Life Using Evernote

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Organizing your home and life with EvernoteWith this week being Clutter Awareness Week, what better way for kick off than to  talk about Evernote.

Getting organized can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t know where to start. You may or may not be one of those people who organize their lives electronically. It’s understandable if you’re not.  Your state of disorganization may be a physical manifestation, travelling throughout the household and seemingly unaffected by how neat your Google calendar looks online. However, there are ways for you and your online applications to meet in the middle and revamp your household.

With its cross-platform support, Evernote can very easily serve as that go-to application for any specific organizational task. Once your account has been created it can be accessed and updated from your tablet, your smart phone, or your laptop so that you can view your content on the go no matter where you are. While your options are limited only by your imagination, here are seven specific ways to use Evernote to organize your life:

1.      Snapshots of Recipes

Evernote allows you to take pictures of anything and then organize them with tags and titles. This comes in handy when you have an assortment of recipes coming from different mediums:

  • Internet screenshots
  • Cookbook/magazine scans or snapshots
  • Scribbled notes

Why not bring all of these recipes together in one easily accessible place? With Evernote you can store them all together and use tags to make them easy to search.  When searching for recipes online use the Evernote Web Clipper which is available on every major browser.

2.      Snapshots of Business Cards

Business cards are a love/hate sort of item. They’re small and accessible and easy to store, but they’re just that much easier to lose. Try taking a picture of every business card you come across that you think you might need again, tag it, and store it in a notebook designated for business cards.   For an even more professional approach use the wonderful mobile app CamCard that integrates nicely with Evernote.

3.      Snapshots of Statements/Receipts/Bills

As you may have noticed by now, the snapshot tool in Evernote is quite versatile. Just as you would take snapshots of recipes or business cards, you can do the same with any invoices or bills, title and tag them to make them searchable and store them in a notebook. If you’re up for further organization you can separate bills by category or date and create separate notebooks within a single folder.

So here you have 3 ways to start the process of organizing your lifestyle.   Stay tuned for several more ways Evernote can be a great tool to get your life in order.

Downsizing: Tips To Be A Minimalist In Your Home

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Minimalist home organizationMinimalism.  Living more simply. Streamlining.

We hear these words and statements more often now, especially because so many people are downsizing their spaces.  I work each week with space-challenged clients to solve their organizing problems and I think that makes me somewhat of an expert on the issue.

Of course there are many advantages to being a minimalist.  Less stress, more time (less cleaning), less frustration, and no need to find a home for the stuff you really don’t need.

You can easily downsize with style by identifying your priorities and with effective use of accessories, lighting, artwork and colour.

Think about secret spaces for extra storage.  Hollow architectural columns are perfect so you can add shelves or a door on one side.

For flexibility when downsizing stick with a bed that doesn’t have a foot board. Transform end tables into coffee tables by simply cutting down the legs.

And don’t forget to de-clutter clear surfaces and have a place for everything.

This cool Infographic below, courtesy of The Picket Fence, is a visual look at minimalism.

 

Minimalism

Minimalism

Helping Older Adults & Seniors Downsize

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downsizingEvery year thousands of older adults and seniors face the decision of whether to downsize to smaller living accommodations or to stay in their existing homes.  For some the decision to downsize is made for them due to serious illness or perhaps the death of a loved one.  Sometimes the comfort and safety of people comes into play. But regardless of the reason, the upheaval and relocation can be traumatic.  My experience in this industry has clearly indicated that it is even more so for seniors.

I received a call from a gentleman whose mother was living alone and had recently injured her leg falling over piles of newspapers that she had collected.  He was concerned for her health and safety due to the amount of belongings and clutter that she had accumulated.  He wanted to move her into a condominium and was looking for assistance in helping to sort through a lifetime of her possessions.

Safety First

Safety is usually the first thought that comes into mind when considering downsizing.  Home location and its construction are very important issue to consider.  A few questions you may want to ask yourself are: (i) is the home easy to get around in? (ii) can the maintenance of the home be easily managed by the occupant? (iii) how close is the home to local shopping centres and banks?

Limitations regarding the physical abilities of the people in the home are also relevant and need to be considered.  Can basic personal hygiene be handled?  What about manoeuvrability in and out of the bathtub or shower?  What about memory issues as it relates to safety?  Leaving a burner lit on the stove or a pot boiling over can be a potentially dangerous situation.

Let the idea of downsizing marinate.

If you know an older adult or senior who should consider downsizing, it’s best that you introduce them to the idea slowly.  Many well-meaning family members may push too hard resulting in more resistance.   Sometimes it’s helpful to suggest  to your parents that they may wish to make the decision of moving to a smaller home when they still can.  Sometimes illness or injury, like that of my client, ends up making the decision for you and you are then forced to move when perhaps you don’t feel ready.

Emotions play a role.

Often times adult children don’t play an active role in the downsizing process due to other family and work obligations.  The stress and tension can be very high for all members of the family and often times it’s best to call and hire an experienced professional organizer to assist and make the process run smoothly and without trauma. In addition, adult children often feel a lot of turmoil when long time family possessions are sorted and pared down.  I have personally seen the upheaval of emotions cause conflicts among family when these conflicts could easily have been minimized by initiating a few simple organizing and downsizing strategies to be prepared.

For me, working with older adults and seniors is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.  I don’t just work for my clients, but with them, side by side, hands on coaching, motivating and encouraging.   Working collaboratively I have helped clients make decisions on what to keep, what to pass on to family or others, and what to be discarded.

Senior couple

One way I like to encourage and motivate my clients is to suggest that the preparation of a move to a smaller home is the first step of a fresh start, a new chapter in their lives and perhaps an even greater adventure!  Preparation is key to a successful downsize so that precious memories can still be treasured while streamlining for a simpler and more efficient lifestyle.

Be The Most Organized Person In The World [Infographic]

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Who wouldn’t want to be organized? From your closets and cupboards to your computer and workplace, being organized can save you a ton of time, money and frustration and make your life easier.

If you want to take your paper piles to files and go from clutter to calm in your home and office you’re in the right place. Your computer is a great place to start, moving from desktop to actual file folders, using a variety of digital applications to help you along the way. And when you are finished with your computer and office, move on to those other clutter hotspots such as your  bedroom, kitchen etc., where clutter and “stuff” tends to pile up when there is no organizational system in place.

There are so many Apps now available to make your life easier and clutter free, why not take advantage of all that is offered up to you!

Check out the Infographic below, on How To Be The Most Organized Person In The World, courtesy of thegreatist.com

 

Infographic on how to be super organized

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Reasons Cluttered Homes Don’t Sell

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De-cluttered home that sellsThis article was originally published on the Comfree Blog, where I am a frequent contributor. You can view the original article here.

You’ve got several people in line to take a look at your house that you’ve just put up for sale. The lawn is immaculate, the driveway is as smooth as glass, and there isn’t a single wrinkle in your clothes. However, behind closed doors lies a completely different story.

“I know where to find everything in my own house!” you might argue. That might very well be true for you, but what about the couple looking at your home for the first time? Are they convinced?

It turns out that it does matter to other people whether your home is presented as spic and span or as the remnants of a hurricane. The “hygiene” of your house can potentially be the difference between a brief, disinterested house tour and an enthusiastic down payment.

Here are five reasons cluttered houses don’t sell and why you should clear the clutter before putting it on the market.

1. First impressions are critical

From the moment a potential buyer sets foot in the house their opinion on how suitable it is as a home depends greatly on first impressions. It makes sense. Why buy something that doesn’t deliver your specific needs?

It’s critical to ensure that every room conveys its purpose. There shouldn’t be plates in the living room nor should there be newspapers scattered in the kitchen. Only when everything is in its rightful place can a potential buyer assume that the house offers living space appropriate to his or her needs.

2. Potential buyers need to be able to visualize themselves in the home

Not that you need to encourage anyone to make themselves feel at home but if you’re hoping to make a sale you want potential buyers to relate to you as a homeowner. The couple taking a look around your living room should be able to picture themselves sitting on the couch with their feet on the coffee table after a long day.

If your couch is covered in dog fur and your coffee table is littered with old mail, chances are they’re not picturing anything of the sort.

3. Buyers want a home with lots of space to live in

Ultimately, you want to present your house as a place that is suitable for comfortable living. Spaciousness is crucial in illuminating the potential of the house in that regard.

With the right furniture arrangement you can make that effort to appease potential buyers and demonstrate that they too can enjoy living in this very house with as much or as little space as they desire. But of course show them more space as opposed to less and let them see what they’re working with.

4. Your closet says a lot about you

Someone taking a look in your bedroom might like to see how much closet space your room has. Probably so they can know how much junk they can store inside without rhyme or reason.

You should not, however, use your closet that way, at least not during a tour of the closet. Everything inside should be neat and orderly. If you have clothes or other items spilling out, a potential buyer might believe that their own mess won’t fit inside. The trick is to avoid presenting them with a mess in order to show off how much space there actually is.

5. Messy home = messy owners

You know that saying “never judge a book by its cover”? Forget that. Consider yourself judged. How you physically present yourself doesn’t matter nearly as much as how you physically present the house, seeing as it’s the house people are interested in buying.

A messy, cluttered house tells potential buyers that the owners have messy, cluttered minds. If you don’t even have time to wash that tower of plates on the kitchen counter, how is anyone supposed to believe that you have time to clean and maintain facilities within the rest of the house?

3 Tips To De-clutter & Organize Your Computer

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cluttered computer desktop

When was the last time you tidied up your desktop?

I’m not talking about the piece of furniture that you call your “desk”, but the desktop on your computer.  If you have never done so, or if it’s been so long that you really can’t remember, then it’s definitely time to take care of this organizational task.

Cleaning up your computer doesn’t have to be a scary proposition although I realize it can seem daunting, especially if it’s been a while since the last time you did it. However, by keeping your PC organized you’ll be able to retrieve files faster instead of hunting endlessly for misplaced documents or spending minutes or hours on end scanning and searching through your computer.

Think of your computer desktop as your physical desk.

Let’s start with the basics of your Windows desktop.  If your screen is full of file folders, files and shortcuts, getting rid of this clutter is a good place to start.  Reference tools, items for immediate response and files that you use on a frequent basis can stay.  However old documents, installers, files and programs can either be filed elsewhere or simply be deleted.  Think of your computer desktop just as you would your physical desk.  Most people don’t want to keep piles of paper all over their desk, so why would you want to keep piles all over your computer desktop?

Part of the desk top clean up involves emptying your recycle bin on a regular basis.  Doing so will free up more space on your hard drive which space you can then use for storing files and programs that you actually need.

Determine which virtual files are important.

Once you’ve gone through the desktop, the next step is to review your virtual files to identify which files are important for you to save.  Typically financial and tax documents are important to keep for at least 7 years and anything older can be filed away in an archived folder, clearly labelled and marked by year or month. Think of your virtual filing system just like you would your paper filing system and file and label your virtual filing cabinet and folders within the same as your paper filing cabinet.

As you review your files ask yourself a few questions: Do I still need to keep these around? For what purpose?  How easy is it for me to get my hands on this information if I need it again? Do I use this for reference? Should this be moved into a reference folder? When was the last time I referred to this document? These questions should give you a good indication of whether or not they can be deleted.

Back up your documents in at least two different places.

Remember also to back up your computer files, especially documents that are critical or important.  Most people now have an external hard drive or an on-line source of storage in the event your computer crashes.  It’s a good idea to actually back up your documents in at least two places.  I personally back up on an external drive and also on a secure on-line backup source.

These few tips will help you to begin to clear up the clutter on your computer in small manageable steps.  You’ll be pleased with the results when you see how much more efficient, organized and even faster your computer will operate.

Organizing Your Kitchen Medications

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medicine on kitchen counter

After completing hundreds of projects with clients over the last couple of years I’ve noticed that many have a need to keep medications in the kitchen area. This makes sense considering often times medications, including vitamins, are taken in the morning or at meal times so they need to be handy and accessible.

Rather than having your various daily medications sitting haphazardly in various spots in the kitchen or throughout your home I recommend keeping them contained and stored in one spot in the kitchen.  This way you will always know where to go to retrieve and return your medications.

Avoid the chaos.

In our home my husband kept his medicines in our kitchen cupboard in the same cabinet as we had our small portable coffee grinder. Inevitably I would pull the grinder out only to have a number of small medicine bottles come crashing down on the counter or spilling onto the floor.  Sometimes I would find them in various spots on the kitchen counter. I would roll my eyes every time this happened until it occurred to me that there is an easy fix.

Gather all your daily vitamins and medicines.

To begin with I pulled all the various daily vitamins and medicines out of that kitchen cabinet.  I also checked around the house to see what other medications were used on a daily basis, especially those that would be consumed in the kitchen.  It’s important to note that any medications that have expired should not be consumed and should be tossed.  You can return them safely to your pharmacist rather than tossing them in the garbage, down the drain or toilet bowl.

Group and contain for ease of retrieval and return.

Any medications and vitamins I found that were consistently consumed in the kitchen were grouped together.  Once I saw the volume (which, thankfully, was not too many) I was then able to determine the correct sized container in which to store them safely.  I purchased a clear acrylic bin that was about three inches high and eight inches long and placed not only the daily vitamins but also the daily prescription medications. I then relocated that acrylic bin to another, more easily accessible shelf in the kitchen cabinet, away from direct sunlight and away from any heat source (both of which can deteriorate and reduce the effectiveness of vitamins and medicine).

Now whenever it’s time to take a vitamin or medication we simply and easily pull out the entire bin, quickly locate what we need and return it promptly to the bin and back into the cupboard. No more falling bottles and medicines cluttering up our kitchen counters.

Medications should be stored in the place that they are used.  Therefore if you use them in the kitchen then that is where they should live. Contained and easily accessible.

Organizing & Storing Holiday Decorations

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Now that the holidays are over and we leave the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season behind us it’s time to turn our minds to storing and organizing those holiday decorations. In order to make it easier for you next year it makes sense to get all the ornaments and holiday accessories stored in an orderly fashion and all in one place.  There’s nothing worse than rummaging through bins and boxes trying to remember where you stored your lights, ornaments and decorations for the season.

With that in mind, here are some easy tips you can use for storing your holiday ornaments and decorations.

I find it very helpful to use bins that are colour coded to help distinguish the box for Christmas from the box for Halloween or Easter decorations.  Stores typically carry a variety of colours now so it’s pretty easy to get colour coded bins.  Green and red bins for Christmas, orange for Halloween and maybe yellow for Easter.

It’s always important to label all sides of the bin as well as the top so that it’s easy to read what is inside. Also make sure the writing on the label is large enough for you to read if you keep your bins up high.

One of my clients told me that she hates it when bins are stacked on top of each other because that means she has to physically move one or more to get to the one on the bottom.  This makes perfect sense.  That’s why I recommend storing bins on a shelving unit to keep them separate and easy to retrieve as well as return.

One very important tip is to ensure that your container is waterproof, especially if it’s kept in the garage or basement where moisture can be a problem.  Pests can also get into some bins so make sure the lid is tight and preferably one that has a lock over mechanism.

Before you store everything away take a review of all the items you have.  There may be decorations you no longer like, don’t use or are broken.  There is no sense in storing these things taking up valuable space when they are either not needed or really wanted.  Throw them away or donate.

You may find you have feelings of sentimentality towards certain items.  Perhaps you are keeping them for your children or they are heirlooms from past holidays handed down through the generations.  Be sure to clearly mark and store these with bubble wrap so they stay safe and intact. If these are ones that you typically do not display at all, make sure you keep them in an out of the way location from the rest of the holiday decorations.

Many stores carry organizing containers specifically for ornaments, wreaths, lights and even artificial trees. For trees specifically you can purchase either a tree bag made of sturdy fabric with handles with or without wheels, or you can purchase a tree bin which typically holds up to 8 foot trees.  Many can be found and ordered on-line as well so performing a Google search will give you lots of options to choose from.

We all know the holidays can be a very hectic time of year.  Take care and effort now in storing your holiday decorations so it’s more effortless and enjoyable next year.

Organizing Your Golf Bag

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golf bag

This latest blog is courtesy of my guest blogger, Doug Ward.  Enjoy!

I recently went away for a week down south with my wife and another couple. One of the reasons for the destination of choice was the amazing golf course situated beside the resort. The first 9 holes of the course are not all that great however the back 9 follow the scenic ocean.  Every hole was a challenge and the scenery was spectacular with huge ocean waves smashing into the rocks as you took a shot.

Upon our arrival for our first game I was a bit embarrassed as I was searching my various golf bag compartments for the things I would need for the game.  All the while my playing partner had already calmly retrieved his glove, tools and ball like an organized professional. Here I was tossing out Kleenex, mints, sunscreen etc. looking for what I needed and all the while becoming more and more frustrated while my blood level rose. Not a good way to start what was supposed to be a relaxing game of golf.

Golf bag manufacturers give you a lot of pockets on a golf bag for a reason.  There are many types of golf bags out there and mine is a mid-range bag with a good amount of pockets.  After my embarrassing ordeal I decided it was finally time to put those compartments to good use and get my bag organized.

Right after the game (which was played in record time of 3 hours), I emptied everything out of the bag.  You’d be surprised what I actually found in there. There were of course golf balls, tees, gloves, ball markers, as well as Kleenex (used and unused), sunscreen, wrappers, a screwdriver (!?), rain coat, old gloves, etc.

To get the golf bag organized I placed all the golf balls in one of the largest compartments at the front of the bag.  The tees went in a smaller compartment and the golf glove I use every game was placed in one of the small side compartments. All these items are used every game so they were all in the upper compartments of the bag and easily accessible during the game. Most bags also have an insulated compartment on the side for water and a large side compartment is a great place to keep rain gear if and when needed. If you wear a watch and normally remove it for the game like I do, make sure you put it in a safe zippered compartment and don’t forget to take it back out when you’re finished your round.

Sunscreen (a must for every golf bag) was placed in one of the small side pockets together with clean tissue. All garbage, wrappers, old gloves and broken tees were tossed out.  For those of you that are truly disorganized in your golf game don’t forget to put your clubs back in proper order in your bag for easy retrieval when you need them next. Golf clubs and shoes should be cleaned after each round to remove any dirt and protect your investment.  Shoes should be kept in a special shoe storage bag.

Somebody once said that the game of golf is played between the ears so why add to the stress of an already mentally challenging game by having a disorganized bag? Play smart and take 15 minutes to get your golf bag organized. It’ll be worth it.  I promise.