• Store recipes and pictures of dishes – use the transparent sleeves to keep it clean from spills in the kitchen
• Re-label the alphabetical tabs with months of the year and store birthday and anniversary dates
• Use it to organize small stickers or embellishments for your scrapbooking project
• Sports collectors can organize their baseball cards
• If you recently painted walls or furniture, store the paint chip for future reference.

It’s no wonder the 3-ring binder is a required school supply – it’s a versatile organizing tool. Invest in a sturdy binder that you can use over and over, and if you’re storing receipts or time-sensitive items, remember to clean it out at the end of the year and archive important documents.

Binders can serve a lot of different organizing functions:

• Using clear sheet protectors, file away warranties and manuals for electronics – keep the one for kitchen appliances in a cabinet and store the one for home entertainment in the living room.
• Apply the same idea above for recipes and create your own cookbook.
• Binders are portable, so they work well for projects that are active and require lots of meetings where you need to bring all your files and materials.
• As a reference tool, many people can share binders to store ideas, guides, contracts, etc. Create a table of contents in the front of the binder so people can quickly flip to the tab they need.
• Binders are excellent for filing chronological documents such as annual events, financial records or data logs, and school year activities.

How do you secure the identity of your bag? Here are some quick ideas on how to label your bag and avoid confusion at the airport:

• Attach an eye-catching luggage tag in a bright color or shape. You don’t have to just stick to one. Place one on the handle and on the side or bottom so you can still identify your bag even if it’s turned around or upside down.
• Try a luggage strap or hugger. These straps actually go around the circumference of the bag, either vertically or width-wise. They are very easy to spot and come in a multitude of colors.
• Tie a simple patterned ribbon or thick piece of yarn to the bag. Make sure the knot is secure so it doesn’t come loose during handling or the bumpy trip on the conveyor belt.
• And don’t forget to make sure your name and phone number is clearly printed on a luggage tag so the airline can contact you in case your bag is lost.

With friends, family and festivities, there will be lots of picture taking in the coming weeks. Be prepared by having your camera readily accessible and fully charged. Also, keep extra batteries or the charger in the camera bag and place it by the front door so you don’t forget it on the way to parties and holiday activities.

Now is the perfect time to set up a system for your pictures so you can share them right away at the end of the season. For digital photos, here are a few of my favorite online sites that let you upload the photos and gives your family and friends the opportunity of getting their own prints.

• Shutterfly
• Snapfish
• Flickr
• Picasa

If you use a camera with film, drop off the rolls at a one hour development shop and make sure to pick them up right away so they don’t pile up. Label and store the photos in chronological order for now and you can quickly sort through them later.

 

“How to Network Effectively and Organize Your Job Search Efforts”

Career Search Seminar

Tuesday, August 11th

9 AM – 12 PM

The Norton Building, 801 Second Ave, Seattle

This will be a 3 hour, 3 topic job search seminar about networking and organizing your job search.

Register now or call 206-399-8712

 Sponsored by Woodland Recruiting, Puget Sound Business Journal and Innovatively Organized.

A beautiful Seattle summer is in full swing and that means you’ve probably had some out-of-town guests in and out of your home by now. I wanted to pass along a few organizing tips for the bathroom since that is probably one of the most important spaces that your guests will see and use. If your bathroom is clutter-free and organized it will most likely stay that way, even if your messy college roommate visits for a month!

• Most medicine cabinets are lined in metal. If yours isn’t, place a small metal strip inside the door. (You can use the kind they sell at office supply stores.) Attach magnetized hooks, a notepad holder for small brushes and combs, and spice canisters for hair elastics and barrettes.
• Bathroom drawers are second only to kitchen junk drawers when it comes to messiness. Apply the same theory as you do in the kitchen and use utensil dividers or trays to categorize small items, such as bobby pins, razors, tampons, make-up and cotton swabs.
• Another great kitchen idea is to use lazy susans under the sink to hold cleaning supplies or extra bottles of shampoo or body wash.
• For items you absolutely need to have on the countertop, make sure they are corraled in an attractive basket. A small wicker basket makes a great holder for washcloths or hand towels.

Living in a high-rise downtown definitely cuts down on the size of my carbon footprint. I use less electricity and water and use more public transportation, but I can still do more to reduce waste and save natural resources. Recycling is an easy way to help the environment and it also has an added benefit of doing something positive with your clutter! The goal is to divert items from landfills that can be repurposed or reused. A few quick suggestions:

- Put all your junk mail, old newspapers, catalogs and unnecessary papers from your home office into a recycling bin that you keep under your desk or garage. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a simple basket or plastic trash can will do the job.  

- Turn sturdy cereal boxes into magazine holders by cutting off the flaps and wrapping it in decorative paper.

- Too many toys in your kids’ rooms? Ask them to choose some gently loved items to donate to a local shelter or children’s charity.

- Hold a clothing and accessories swap party with your family, friends and neighbors. Turn that pair of shoes you hardly wore into the perfect match for your sister’s new dress. Add music and refreshments to make it even more fun!

Living in Seattle definitely makes us more conscientious about the environment, and there is always more to learn. Click here to learn more about what can go into your garbage and what happens to it after it gets picked up at the curb.

Closet Clean-Out Event

Downtown Seattle

Saturday, June 13th

2 PM – 4 PM

Make room for your summer clothes by clearing out the old!

Empty your closet by bringing any and all items you are ready to part with to this event.  We will have racks and areas for you to display your items. Then you will be able to “shop” from the items others brought with them. There will be refreshments, fun prizes and a raffle!

RSVP directly to info@InnovativelyOrganized.com and we’ll send you more details.  Or you can also click here.

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A fridge crammed with food can be frustrating. Valuable time is wasted searching for the last can of soda, repositioning things so they don’t fall out, or worse, realizing something has gone bad and having to empty out entire shelves to find the culprit.

The EZ Slider is a neat product idea that will save you from refrigerator horror stories and keep things within easy reach. This smooth sliding drawer is secured to a shelf by suction cups, gives you quick access to food items and lets you store smaller edibles in one spot so they don’t get lost.

Shop for it here

Here’s a quick list to get big uses out of those little notes:

1. Stick one to the remote control so you remember to record a show or what time Grey’s Anatomy is on.
2. Keep forgetting to call someone? Put their name and phone number on a note and stick it to your phone.
3. Keep paper sorting neat by using notes as tab dividers so you don’t end up with several stacks of paper.
4. Use them for writing down clues for a scavenger hunt.
5. For teachers, you can use sticky notes to put a grade on assignments that can’t be written on, such as art and science projects.
6. The mini sticky notes come in handy to label a prescription bottle with a note on when to take your medicine or if you need a refill.
7. Make sure the kids don’t eat the last piece of cake by writing, “Save for Dad” on the container. This also works for labeling your lunch bag at work so your food doesn’t go missing.
8. Use the bright colored sticky notes to your advantage by writing down important dates and putting them on your calendar so they really stand out.
9. Hate getting lost? Put directions on a sticky note and put it on the center of your steering wheel for quick checking.
10. If you love eating at your desk, pick up those loose crumbs by using the sticky side of the note, or run it between the keys on your keyboard.