I'm pretty sure each person out there has a stash somewhere in the house for their photos. A box, a shopping bag, a drawer..it's out there, I bet.
What to do about all those photos? Well, the first thing is find some time. Set aside maybe just a half an hour to get started. It doesn't have to be a full day to get what seems like a monster of a project. It could even be during the time you normally spend vegging out on the couch at night. We can get this done in manageable, small chunks.
After you've figured out when you've got a bit of time to dedicate, we want to see just what you've got there. In this digital world, chances are you won't ever need negatives again. Think about pulling out and tossing the whole lot of them. From there, start to sort out your photos.
Make piles of photos based on how you'd like to set up your final product - whether that be an album or a photo box. You might find your self creating piles of photos by year. Or, it might be easier to categorize by events: weddings, parties, holidays, dance recitals, baseball games. Make sure you stay consistent in your piles, however. For example, if you're categorizing by year, don't worry about what order the photos are being put in the pile for "1999." That will happen soon!
As you're sorting through that bag of long lost photos, pull out and toss any photos you would never want to see again: blurry pictures, obstructed views, doubles, photos where your eyes are closed. Toss them. If you're concerned about privacy for any reason, go ahead and shred them.
Now, comes the only tricky part. Take each of those stacked up categories and start to sort them in an even more detailed manner, if you want to. If you're content to simply have an album of "2010" or a photo box of "Dance Recitals," skip this step. However, if you'd like the photos of 2010 at least grouped by event or the photos from each dance recital grouped together, then you'll want to do that. And, don't be hard on yourself if you find that some photos you have no idea when they were or why they were taken. That's okay!
Now that all the bad photos are gone and the good photos are grouped together, we can figure out how to store them. Decide if you'd like an album or photo box. If it's a box, start to load the photos in. Label the box as to what's inside. If there are multiple categories in one box, use a divider to separate and label the contents. Most photo boxes come with these dividers.
If you're using albums, you'll need to count how many photos are in each larger group (the year, for example). The only reason to do this is to know what size album you'll need. If there will be a series of albums, it may not be necessary; you can just fill one and start the next where the first left off. However, if you want separate albums for separate categories, then make sure you have an album that can hold the amount of photos you want.
Keep in mind this will take some time, especially if there's a lot of photos to go through. However, it doesn't have to all happen at once. Go through a couple handfuls of pictures each night, and after some time, it'll all be done. This project can be completed!
Paper, Paper Everywhere!
Paper is everywhere. Even in our technological world. Mail. Letters. Ads. Coupons. Magazines. Books. Receipts.
There are two major traps that befall those of us surrounded by paper: 1) Keeping things we can actually get rid of - just in case and 2) Keeping things to read.....someday.....
Keeping things we can actually get rid of: The IRS has a lot to do with what I recommend everyone keep. They suggest you keep some items related to the taxes filed each year. However, it's a pretty long document to sift through, at seven pages. Still, it is specific enough to state not only what to keep, but how long to keep it. Remember to shred and not toss the things related to your taxes, when the time comes to get rid of it.
Consumer Reports breaks it down a little more easily for us.
Keep for 1 year or less:
Keeping things to read....someday...... In a perfect world, everyone would have more than enough time to read and absorb all the things we'd like to. But, those magazines, articles and books stack easily, don't they? Let's start with items that are hanging around because you'd like to remember the information available in it (opposed to stories, etc.). Ask your self two questions: 1) Am I still interested in reading about this topic? 2) Can I find this information somewhere else? Keep in mind, there's the library and the Internet - both a wealth of information!
What about the things that just look like a good read? Stories, novels, something for fun? Again, two questions to ask yourself: 1) Am I still interested in reading this story? Maybe your interests have changed since it was added to the pile. 2) Do I have the time to give to this article? With the free time I have available, do I want to spend it reading this? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Be realistic, too. Be realistic about how long it would take you to finish the article or story, and be realistic about how much time you have to commit.
Keeping things we can actually get rid of: The IRS has a lot to do with what I recommend everyone keep. They suggest you keep some items related to the taxes filed each year. However, it's a pretty long document to sift through, at seven pages. Still, it is specific enough to state not only what to keep, but how long to keep it. Remember to shred and not toss the things related to your taxes, when the time comes to get rid of it.
Consumer Reports breaks it down a little more easily for us.
Keep for 1 year or less:
- Bank records (checking and savings)
- Credit card bills (for non-tax related expenses)
- Insurance policies
- Investment Statements
- Pay stubs
- Receipts
- Large purchases for the home
- Investment purchases
- Loan documents
- Savings Bonds
- Vehicle records
- Defined benefit plan docs
- Estate planning
- Life insurance
- Safe deposit box inventory
Keeping things to read....someday...... In a perfect world, everyone would have more than enough time to read and absorb all the things we'd like to. But, those magazines, articles and books stack easily, don't they? Let's start with items that are hanging around because you'd like to remember the information available in it (opposed to stories, etc.). Ask your self two questions: 1) Am I still interested in reading about this topic? 2) Can I find this information somewhere else? Keep in mind, there's the library and the Internet - both a wealth of information!What about the things that just look like a good read? Stories, novels, something for fun? Again, two questions to ask yourself: 1) Am I still interested in reading this story? Maybe your interests have changed since it was added to the pile. 2) Do I have the time to give to this article? With the free time I have available, do I want to spend it reading this? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Be realistic, too. Be realistic about how long it would take you to finish the article or story, and be realistic about how much time you have to commit.
Arts & Crafts...for you & the kids!
As always, the first thing to do is sort it all out. Spread out all your supplies to assess what you have. Start making piles - or categories - based on how you attack your craft projects. Should pipe cleaners be in it's own category? Or, would you only grab them when you'd also grab cotton pom-poms? If the latter, then pile them up together. It will get worse before it gets better; you've got to spread it all out to see what you have! But, it will get better.
Before we contain the supplies, sift through each of those piles to pull out anything you no longer want, won't use, didn't like and so on. Toss or donate those items.
If you'd like something a little more creative and accessible...think outside the box! Try an egg tray for small found items. Or jars for long brushes and pencils. Use drawers or large boxes for bulkier items. You can also hang things (rope, ribbons and anything with a hole that can hang on a hook) and roll things (large paper rolls or large pieces of fabric).It's really up to you: what you have, how much you have and where you want to keep it. The important thing is to keep it all in mind.
Have you done something that worked great for storing your craft supplies? Share it with me! Have you been struggling with a particular space or item? Let me know, and we'll find a solution.
Meal Planning
Most people realize they can organize and reorganize their kitchens to better suit their space and needs. However, it's not nearly as often someone thinks about organizing their actual eating. Today, we're tackling meal planning. Something every busy parent and each busy person should be thinking about.
First, start with organizing the refrigerator! A couple times a year (think season change, at least), go through everything in the fridge and freezer. Toss expired items or things otherwise ruined by freezer burn. Toss food that no one will eat. Let's set up what's left in the fridge so it's easy to see what you have so when it comes time to cook and shop, knowing what you already have on hand is an easy task. Think condiments in one place or all on the door. Maybe beverages all on one shelf, like milk, juice and soda. Leftovers in one area. And, use the drawers efficiently! Most refrigerators have 2 - 3 drawers, designated fruits, vegetables and meats/cheeses. However, if you usually don't have much to put in the categories, don't be afraid to use the drawer to hold something else. For example, bottom drawers usually fit bottles (whether soda, beer or for baby) well. Or, if you keep your breads in the fridge, perhaps keeping them all in a drawer can help chorale them (like a bread box).
Create a similar arrangement in your food cabinets or pantry. Edit out items that are expired or won't be eaten. If they're unopened, donate to your local food pantry. Create categories that make sense for the eating habits of the household. This might be by meal, by type of food or in categories of who eats what (adults vs. kids).
Now it's east to see what's in stock. When something is missing or running low, there should be a place nearby to jot it down and add it to the running grocery list. Before shopping, grab the list when you grab your reusable shopping bags.
Consult the list and the in-house stock when trying to decide what to cook. Grab the recipes to make sure you have the amount as well as the item needed.
When you return home with your needed goodies, there are 2 more tasks to complete! 1) Next to the running grocery list, keep a running list of what recipes you have the ingredients to make. When it comes to meal prep time, glance it over to see what sounds best today - for taste and time. 2) Before putting away things like fresh fruits and veggies, you might consider washing and chopping them for their intended use. This makes meal prep half as much time (great when stomachs are growling!) and allows for quicker, healthier snacks on hand - like carrot sticks and apple slices ready to go!
Happy eating!
First, start with organizing the refrigerator! A couple times a year (think season change, at least), go through everything in the fridge and freezer. Toss expired items or things otherwise ruined by freezer burn. Toss food that no one will eat. Let's set up what's left in the fridge so it's easy to see what you have so when it comes time to cook and shop, knowing what you already have on hand is an easy task. Think condiments in one place or all on the door. Maybe beverages all on one shelf, like milk, juice and soda. Leftovers in one area. And, use the drawers efficiently! Most refrigerators have 2 - 3 drawers, designated fruits, vegetables and meats/cheeses. However, if you usually don't have much to put in the categories, don't be afraid to use the drawer to hold something else. For example, bottom drawers usually fit bottles (whether soda, beer or for baby) well. Or, if you keep your breads in the fridge, perhaps keeping them all in a drawer can help chorale them (like a bread box).Create a similar arrangement in your food cabinets or pantry. Edit out items that are expired or won't be eaten. If they're unopened, donate to your local food pantry. Create categories that make sense for the eating habits of the household. This might be by meal, by type of food or in categories of who eats what (adults vs. kids).
Now it's east to see what's in stock. When something is missing or running low, there should be a place nearby to jot it down and add it to the running grocery list. Before shopping, grab the list when you grab your reusable shopping bags.
Consult the list and the in-house stock when trying to decide what to cook. Grab the recipes to make sure you have the amount as well as the item needed.
When you return home with your needed goodies, there are 2 more tasks to complete! 1) Next to the running grocery list, keep a running list of what recipes you have the ingredients to make. When it comes to meal prep time, glance it over to see what sounds best today - for taste and time. 2) Before putting away things like fresh fruits and veggies, you might consider washing and chopping them for their intended use. This makes meal prep half as much time (great when stomachs are growling!) and allows for quicker, healthier snacks on hand - like carrot sticks and apple slices ready to go!Happy eating!
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