What To Do For Those School Paper Blues

Now that the kids have been back in school for a few weeks now, the papers they have brought home are starting to accummulate. Left unmanaged, these can easily become clutter: an organizing dilemma I often encounter. The key for dealing with school papers is to be prepared! Here are some ideas:

1. Container! Container! Container! This is one area where having a container is absolutely necessary. It can be as simple as a box with a few file folders. Use a wicker basket for a nice decorative touch. I highly recommend purchasing some legal size manila folders (available at office supply stores) to accommodate larger sized items such as artwork. As I was surfing the internet, I came across some Corruboard products that would work well for organizing school papers. Here are some links to check out:
http://www.enasco.com/product/9720884H
http://www.enasco.com/product/WA26884H

Lillian Vernon has a great porfolio that can be used to hold school papers, artwork and keepsakes. Here is a link:
http://www.lillianvernon.com/catalog/product_display.jsp?pdId=777

Today in Joann Fabrics I saw large portfolio cases made out of posterboard that were not only eco friendly, but wallet friendly as well ($9.99 each). Each looked as if it could hold a year plus worth of papers/artwork!

2. Give each child a separate folder. Also, create subfolders within each folder for categories such as homework to be completed, homework to be submitted, school notices (policies, permission slips, upcoming activities), and artwork. This will help keep all paperwork in one area and eliminate time being wasted trying to track things down.

3. Create a routine. Build time into your schedule daily to go through paperwork your children bring home. Also, look through the existing folders to weed out papers that can be tossed or transferred to a filing cabinet for long term storage. Creating a routine helps pass on useful organizational skills to your child. Eventually, they will be able to sort their school papers on their own!


Unleash Your Organized Me!

Time to organize those Kodak moments!

Now that summer is drawing to a close and school is back in session, it is a perfect time to get those photos organized! Whether you prefer to use a digital camera or take pictures the old fashioned way, photos have a way of accummulating quickly. Develop a routine to make sure they become cherished memories and not clutter! (something I see quite often). Here are some suggestions to help get those photos organized:

Transfer digital photos immediately from your camera! (or get photos developed immediately). The longer photos stay stored on your camera, the easier it is that they become forgotten! I usually make sure to transfer my images within a day of shooting. Giving yourself a specific deadline helps "cement" the routine into place.

Create a separate folder on your computer for each photo session. For printed photos, put them in separate envelopes and store in photos boxes by year. This helps tremendously when you are trying to find a particular photo. I like to label mine according to a specific vacation or occasion (ex. Christmas 2008, Las Vegas 2009). Once the photos are on your computer, back them up immediately on a CD. You can use one CD to store many folders of photos: sometimes even a whole year's worth. You can then put the CD in a photo storage box along with printed photos if you like. Keep only recent folders of photos on your computer, otherwise you are taking up memory on your hard drive as well as creating electronic clutter.

Resist the urge to print every photo. I actually like to view my photos on my computer like a slide show. CDs take up a lot less space than paper copies! Also, consider purchasing a digital photo frame or put some photos on your IPod. If you prefer printed photos, try to store them in photo boxes instead of bulky albums to preserve space. Photo storage boxes come in an array of shapes, sizes and colors so they can be used for decorative purposes as well.

Convert paper photos into digital. Today's technological advances allow us to turn those paper photos into digital images. Here are some links to digital converters:

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102592830&c=10280

http://www.frontgate.com/jump.jsp?itemID=16646&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=16646&path=1%2C2%2C162%2C113%2C116%2C4631


Unleash Your Organized Me!