The special topic for February is paperwork!  Get expert advice just for your home or office. We’ll help you figure out where to start, what to do next, what to keep and where to keep it.

You’ll find a different project each month, chosen just for that season of the year.

Photo Credit: pile of newspapers copyright Katie Molin-fotolia.com

Lunch and Learn

Paperwork Made Simple

Work office, home office, your car, the kitchen counter…no matter where your papers are; you can learn to control them and manage that to-do list. 

Get a grip on those stacks once and for all in this class taught by Professional Organizer Lea Schneider. Winner of the Rolodex Office Makeover Challenge, she’ll share her expert tips on how to manage your desktop instead of it managing you.

Find out how to set up files that work for you. Plan and pace your paper organizing project plus get ideas for paperwork such as incoming mail, phone messages, school papers, photos and more. Learn what to do with that old file cabinet or back-log of papers you thought you’d get to “someday.”

Date/Time: Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:30 a.m.

Location: Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Community Center, 913 South I Street, Pensacola, FL. You are invited to bring a brown bag lunch if you wish.

Cost: $20

Registration required. Register with Organize Right Now at http://shop.1asecure.com/prod.cfm?ProdID=348106&StID=8042  or by phoning 850-477-2582.

Registration deadline: February 8, 2011

More information on this class or other upcoming organizing classes: Visit www.organizerightnow.com or call Lea Schneider at 850-477-2582.

Did you know they might be calling you a hoarder at work? If you’ve got heaps and piles and stacks at the office, it might really damage your life. According to Career Builder, twenty-eight percent of employers say they are less likely to promote someone who has a disorganized or messy space.

That’s 1 in 4 chance that your clutter is changing your work life. There are some other great stats that relate to what bosses say about your mess and what your coworkers say. Check out Office Hoarding: Excess Blocking Your Career Ladder.

Here are a few tips if you are thinking you don’t have time to whip your office or cubicle into shape.

1. Ask for time. You might be surprised that the answer is yes if you approach your boss by saying that you’d like to take a couple of hours next week and get organized as you have a goal to use that effort to improve your performance or meet sales goals (or whatever will make that boss happy to hear.)

2. Use your own time. You might think “But they are not paying me to do that!” But I say “Who made the mess?” and if it pushes you to get more respect by coworkers and bosses, then you will likely see a promotion or raise down the road- or it could prevent you from looking like the lazy one when they have to decide who to cut. Your payoff is your future.

3. Can’t break off a chunk of time? Make a goal to have it done in the next 30 days. Find time every day to work 15 minutes at cleaning and filing- maybe first thing in the morning or first thing when back from lunch. Make it routine.

A few helpful clutter busting tips:

Put your inbox as far from your desk as you can. That might mean getting a wall basket. Yes, they make one to hang on your cubicle. Don’t bring over new things until you put away completed papers.

Get a system. Use trays, stackers or other organizers to keep various projects out on your desk but in a labeled, organizing manner.

Clean out your file cabinet. You can do one file each day until you’ve finished it. Mark where you are with a sticky note. If you don’t get rid of old stuff, where will  you put new stuff? Make it EASY to put things away by giving them an easy-to-find, well-labeled home.

One of my favorite groups sent me some mail recently, The Habitat for Humanity Restore.

They reminded me so I am reminding you to please use them. Please take your clutter there. Please shop there. The proceeds help build a home in your community.

I frequently refer my clients to Habitat Restore with their donations. They typically take things that you can use on a home or in a home – even building supplies. (If you have a company with lots of building supplies, you’ll find info on how to donate at the above link.)

Check with your area store but I’ve seen them take the light fixture you’re replacing, those cans of paint that aren’t the right shade, the kitchen cabinets you are yanking out and the washing machine you are upgrading. They’ll take pots, pans and set of dishes. Curtains, rugs and throw pillows too. Drapery rods, comforters, end tables and Aunt Lucy’s sofa- take it all.

Call the store in your community to check on what they take (see link above)- and many of them pick-up if you have some big items.

Thank you.

Here are some tips if you are thinking about hiring an organizer:

How to Search for a Professional Organizer: A simple Google search of the name of your town and the words professional organizer should reveal who is working in your area. If nothing shows up, try the nearest larger community name. Many organizers are willing to commute to neighboring towns. You can also look at the National Association of Professional Organizers website at www.napo.net. Many organizers are members- but I also know very good organizers who don’t participate. NAPO can be one more search tool for you.

Considerations on Who to Hire: Sure money is important. I’m a homeowner and I always want to know what it will cost. But, in organizing, it can’t be your primary decision factor. You need to consider how experienced the person is you are thinking of hiring. Do ask how long they have been in business and if they have experience in handling what you need done.

Business License: A qualified organizer is going to be a member of your community’s business people. Do they have a business license to work in your home?

Insurance: Just like a contractor you hire to work in your home, an organizer needs to be insured. Ask for proof of insurance.

Confidentiality: All of the organizers I know offer written confidentiality agreements. This means no matter what you tell them about your family or your disorganization, it remains confidential. This is especially important if you’ve asked them to handle files, papers and financial documents.

Fees: There is no right way or wrong way to be billed for organizing help. Some organizers simply charge by the hour, which is what I do. Very simple- I work for four hours and you pay for four hours. Others offer some kind of package, such as you buy a certain number of hours and the cost is $xxx. Finally there are a few that charge by the project, they may say “It will cost you $xxx to have your garage organized.” They don’t tell you how long it takes- you just pay that fee and they get it done in whatever time it takes. I’d say it is most common to be charged by the hour. Feel free to ask your organizer how they keep track of the time spent.

Payment: Typically, organizers expect to be paid on the day they do the work unless other arrangements are made ahead.

If you are emailing or calling to discuss organizing, here is a basic checklist you can follow:

• I need ______ organized. (Or describe your situation.)Do you have experience with that?
• How long have you been in business?
• Do you have a business license with (city or county name)?
• How do you charge for your work?
• Would you be able to provide me with proof of insurance and a confidentiality agreement at our first appointment?
• How do you prefer to be paid? (This way you can learn if they take cash, checks, credit cards and so on.)

If you didn’t find an organizer in your area to come into your home, consider virtual or online organization. This means you get advice via email, phone, share digital pictures or even Skype with an organizer. I offer that service for people who do not live hear me through my Organize Online program.

If you are lucky enough to have laundry room cabinets, then maximize their storage. They are great for household items such as cleaning products, light bulbs, sewing supplies and more. Don’t let them become a hodge-podge. Make that space work for you so you can find what you need when you need it.

Here are some laundry room organizing tips:

Remove everything from the cabinets or shelves. Sort by like item. Put it in a group with things it relates to such as screwdrivers with tools, stain remover with laundry soap and so on.

If you have lots of things- too many for the space- decide what you seldom access. Store those items in a garage or storage area.

Keep things sorted by using inexpensive baskets or plastic bins. Label both the shelf and the bin.

If you like to keep your laundry soap and stain remover handy, like I do, then choose a container to sit on top of the dryer or a near-by shelf to hold those items.

Have a spot to hang things. Adding  coat hooks or Shaker pegs to the wall is a great idea.

Building or buying a shelf to hold baskets of laundry is one way to get piles and piles off the floor. If you have a large family, it is likely you are constantly washing and stepping over piles. A shelf measured to hold baskets is a life-saver. In one home I organized some years ago, we had inexpensive shelving built that the homeowner painted white. White plastic baskets were purchased and labeled for each family member. The cubbies were also labeled. The baskets were kept in each child’s room as their hamper. At laundry time, the child put their basket in their cubbie. When the clothes were clean and folded, the basket of clean clothes wa sin the cubby for the child to return to their room. Older children found their clean clothes unfolded and did that chore themselves. PErhaps a system like that could work for you?

Made over over-lapping elastic bands, the Grid-It can be adapted for many uses. I’ve got mine in my briefcase holding the many loose items including pens, markers, sticky notes and a stack of business cards. But you could use it for tools, electronic accessories or anything. It is very versatile. There are many sizes so you can find one to fit your needs.

Got to love new ways to organize!

Disclosure: I have no connection to this product or company. I did not purchase the one I am using as it was a gift from a friend. Thanks friend.

Here are some pictures from a young lady’s room that I organized. Along with those, let me share a few tips for kids’ rooms:

• Label: Label the closet bar so that school clothes are separated from play clothes. It also makes it easy for them to put their own laundry away. Label the dresser drawers. Label the shelves.
• Think tall: Kids are not tall. Think tall and provide them with a safe step-stool so they can actual reach AND put away things.
• Be Open: An open shelf system,like this canvas ”sweater keeper” are great for kids because they can see what they are looking for. We used it to divide jeans from capris, slacks, leggings and winter hats.
• Book Shelves: I think these are essential in every child’s room. They need a place to put books, games, sports trophies or toys. I believe if you give them a home for things that is easy to use, there is a lot more chance that they will use it.

If you are looking for more ideas to organize your child or your child’s things, then please check out my book on Amazon.com. Growing-Up Organized: A Mom-to-Mom Guide is chock-full of the news you need.  Or, get a download for your ereader on my website. Thanks!

If you promised to clear out your kitchen clutter, you are in good company. From those that want to save money by eating at home to those that want to eat healthier, lots of folks want an organized kitchen.

There are some really simple ideas for transforming your kitchen into an orderly space- and none of them cost very much. You can check out my ideas in my monthly column at WhatsCookingAmerica in my article Clear Out the Kitchen Clutter!

Do you have to lug things in and out for meetings or groups? Get organized by creating a master checklist of what goes with you. Use the cart to keep it all contained. Nearly everyone who sees my cart says “Hey, I need one of those for __________,” Fill in your own blank- scouts, school, committee meetings, sales, helping tote in groceries for elderly parents and more.

Disclosure: I have no connection with this product nor retailer. The opinion is my own.