There’s a rabbit in the inbox!

I won’t bore you with the details of my week caring for a flu virus sick hubby.  We will move forward onto a more fun topic like… Office Organizing! 

Last week I mentioned tackling the inbox (receipts and all) and so I did! 
Julie’s Inbox Defined:  a basket near my office door where non-urgent papers go to rest until such time as I feel it is necessary to deal with them.   In short, this means that I have a basket on the shelf right by the door so that I can just open the door, put the paper in the basket and walk away. 
“Where are the urgent papers?”, you ask.  They are handled right away.  They do not have a chance to rest in the inbox. 
“What kinds of things did you find in the box?”  Things to be filed mostly.  Receipts.  My most recent client file.  Items for follow up *some day*.  Things that belonged elsewhere (like the tape measure and notebook that were awaiting their return to my laptop bag). 
While the inbox is one place I do tend to procrastinate, PLEASE note that I do not let these things pile up for the whole month.  I keep short accounts with my inbox. 

So while I didn’t find a magic rabbit at the bottom of my inbox, I did work some magic and get a time consuming job accomplished.

If you haven’t had time lately to sift through your inbox, maybe you should.  There’s no telling what you will find! 

What is in your inbox? 

This week’s 15 min challenge is… take some time to cool off and get you car cleaned at the same time with a front lawn car wash.  If you can do it over the grass, your lawn will likely thank you! 
(Or you can go to the car wash, come home, and set up your Slip N Slide.  Yee haw!)

Technorati Tags: Technorati Tags: office,organizing,inbox,carwash,cool off,summer,giveaway

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best.

~ Henry Van Dyke

Rain Rain Is Here To Stay

THANK YOU for those of you who have served and are serving our great nation!

How did you do last week on the list?  I did fairly well.  Considering it was raining ALL week long in my corner of the world, I had plenty of time to get things done indoors!  Come on Mr. Sun!  It’s time to shine in my nice clean shiny windows!!! (Yes, I have seen the local forecast and have little hope for the sun this week either, but a girl can hope!)  With all the rain, it has been a great time to spend time indoors, really!  I even had the opportunity to organize a new home office for a local entrepreneur.  It was so much fun creating color coded files and moving out all of the non-office items.

This month, I have been diligently working to revamp my own home office.  I have been thinking and planning for quite some time in order to get exactly what I want in my space.  I finally found it, assembled it, and arranged it.  This serves as a reminder that even for the organizer, organizing is often an agonizing process.  Now on to the “inbox”!  (And possibly the tanning booth for some Vitamin D!)

This is the week that my garbage men/recycle guys will be cursing me.  Time to recycle the old magazines and catalogs.  How long has it been since you sorted through your stash?  Take 15 minutes and plunge on in!

Technorati Tags: office,organizing,Memorial Day,catalogs,files

Welcome to this season’s “It’s finally warm let’s get some Spring Cleaning Done!” edition.

This week, ENJOY this quick list to get you on the right track before summer has a chance to sneak up on you!

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for summer vacation already!!  Does that mean I have Spring Fever?  If you haven’t already, now is the time to plan your vacation get away(s).  Weigh also the power of the staycation. 

Windows Windows Windows!  Let that Spring sun shine right on in!!!  I use an all purpose glass and surface.  Use what works for you, just get it done this week!!!  Do two windows a day, or two rooms a day, or have a marathon.. just jump in and shine away!

Out with the heavy coats and linens – Finally!  Send the coats, comforters, and quilts off the the cleaners, air them out, launder them yourself, get them ready to visit their summer home.  **Has anyone stumbled upon the new storage totes by Ziploc at your local Target store?  They are perfect for storing out of season fabrics in your home.  Keep your eyes peeled!  I have been assured that they are coming soon to a Target near you.**

Summer wardrobe alert!  Out with the old, in with the new.  From shirts, shorts, and pants down to underwear, socks, and swimwear.  Do it now before you’re caught with nothing to wear on a sweltering holiday!  Holiday weekends are sneaking up faster than we know!

Get your medicine cabinet ready for summer.  Could it be that we encounter more bugs in the summer?  Maybe it is because we spend more time outside, but we always seem to need more first aid OF ALL KINDS in the summertime.  Keep it easily accessible and up to date.  Check ALL prescription medicine, over the counter medicine, and topical expiration dates.  Make sure you are stocked up.  Don’t forget to replace last year’s sunscreen as well.

I want to hear from you this week!  Tell me : What is your major organizing dilemma?  What is your favorite organizing product?  What area of your home (or your office) is your nemesis?  Leave a comment and let me know what is going on in your corner of the world!

By the way, I have lots of neat stuff to give away all summer long.  If you have been reading my blog for any time at all, you’ll notice that I sometimes announce these giveaways.  Other times I just randomly choose to pay it forward.  At any rate, if you don’t comment, I don’t know you’re out there.  Moral of the story?  Whether or not you have the organizing gene... if you’re a fan of organizing books and products, or brands like Office Max, Ziploc, Rubbermaid, etc… play along with us this summer!

Technorati Tags: Spring,Spring Cleaning,Organizing,Vacation,Summer,Windows,giveaways,i love organizing

Happy Mother’s Day!

Remember to do something nice for your mama today!  I hope all of you fellow moms are enjoying your day today.  Last Tuesday, my son’s preschool class held a “Mother’s Day Tea” for all of their mommies.  It was a very special time filled with yummy snacks, sweet handmade gifts, and children’s joyous singing.  I feel so blessed to be a mom! 

For those of you celebrating Mother’s Day today, either as a mom or as someone who has a mom, how have you spent your day?  Do you have annual traditions that encompass this day?  I always enjoy taking a trip with my mom this time of year.  This year, I conjoined that with a work trip, but she didn’t seem to mind sharing me with her grandson and my work.  (I couldn’t pass up NAPO Conference 2009!)  It wasn’t exactly a weekend at the spa or a “real” road trip, but I think we both enjoyed it. 

 

~J

Technorati Tags: Mother's Day,preschool

The satchel (aka Purses – Part 3)

I am still recovering from last week’s NAPO Conference 2009.  Lots of great info for me to process from THREE very full days of classes.  So as I recover, I will share with you the answer to something that many of you have wondered.

The purse saga continues.  I have been asked if I carry my Michi bag every day.  The answer is no.  While I love my cute little purse, There are some days where I  need to have the capacity for snacks, coloring books, my planner, magazines, a bottle of water, and other distractions.  On those occasions I carry “the satchel”.  The satchel is wonderful for the days where I am the mommy pack mule.  I love that it is light and versatile.  The strap is wide and comfortable on my shoulder.  There are outer pockets for keys and cell phone… a back zipper, and inner pockets for sunglasses and the like.  What does all this mean?  Yes, I love my cute little Michi bag.  Yes, it will hold A LOT!  But sometimes I need more.

This is the trendy mommy bag satchel.

  

What’s the “moral of the story”?  Find the bag that is the size YOU need it to be, performs how YOU need it to perform, is easy and comfortable for YOU to carry, and is functional for YOU.  Personal preference is huge in the handbag department.  And YES, you can own more than one bag… but also know your limitations for storage and usage.  Knowing the 80/20 principle (that we use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time) makes me very aware of what I keep in my life and what I let go of. 

Just a reminder, Home Hub Notebooks are still available (to Jacksonville/St. Johns area residents) in an array of Spring colors!  Just in time for Spring cleaning.  If you’ve been itching to organize all of your paperwork, this is for you!

I have had many requests for a visual, so here it is:

Spring Green (aka Mint), Sky, Rose, and Coral.