Stay organized when traveling by car

July 11, 2010 – 11:21 am

Image from marthastewart.com

For many people taking vacations this year, it means traveling by highway instead of by air. Make sure to keep the inside of your car neat and organized so you can arrive at your destination with only fun and relaxation in mind. I recently read an article from Martha Stewart offering some really great organizing tips for the trunk of your car.

  • Lighten your carload by arranging supplies in a handled bin.
  • Items kept in the car have a tendency to roll around and get lost beneath seats, so it helps to organize them in a heavy vinyl catchall.
  • Stock it with paper towels, first-aid kit, auto fire extinguisher, duct tape, flat-repair kit, bungee cords, and a bag filled with flares, jumper cables, and other necessities.
  • Also consider packing a messenger bag with bottled water, granola bars, a blanket, and warm clothing, in case of a breakdown.
Source: marthastewart.com
By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Fun Stories, Travel Organizing, storage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Mary Kay Beauty for your iPhone

July 6, 2010 – 12:39 pm

Waiting in line, on the bus, in between meetings – if you’re on-the-go but still want to maximize your time, the iPhone is a great mobile tool. It supports an abundant number of applications, and I recently discovered that you can view the latest Mary Kay® products online and actually flip through the Mary Kay catalog on your iPhone!

If you’re interested in learning more about Mary Kay, contact independent beauty consultant Kim Howe at kimhowe@gmail.com.

By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Electronic Information Management, Favorite Products, Interesting Sites, Media, Productivity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Functional and innovative shredder

June 25, 2010 – 7:15 am

Now you can sip your coffee while shredding those confidential documents and decreasing your paper clutter. This cool table was the winner of a recent competition for modern design and functional furniture. It definitely gets my vote for innovative organization! Check out the details.

By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Favorite Products, Fun Stories, Paper Management | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Time management on your iPhone

June 23, 2010 – 9:23 am

Time Timer© is an innovative tool that helps you visualize time by giving you a graphic representation of its passing. It’s a simple but unique way to improve productivity by seeing time elapse as you work. It’s available as an application for your iPhone, and different sized desk clocks and wristwatches. Everyone from students to business professionals can use it!

By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Business Organizing, Favorite Products, Media, Productivity, Student Organizing, Time Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

More ways to organize your purse

June 16, 2010 – 9:00 am

The latest purse fashion seems to be that bigger and slouchier is better, and that can spell trouble for all the loose items that we carry in our bags. Here are two product ideas that can help add some structure to your tote or oversized purse so you can stay organized.

  • The Purseket wraps around the inside lining of your bag and features gusseted pockets to hold everything from cell phone to note pad to sunglasses.
  • The Pouchee is a purse insert that has divided pockets to hold small and large items like make up, keys, and cds, and it also has a zippered pocket for loose change.
By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Favorite Products, Organizing Small Spaces, storage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Quick Kitchen Organizing Tips

June 14, 2010 – 8:15 am
(image from Real Simple)

One of my favorite resources when it comes to articles about organizing is the Real Simple online magazine. Here are a few tips to get you started in decluttering and streamlining your kitchen. Read more here.

  • Stick a magnetic organizer on the refrigerator door to hold pens and food labels so they’re easy to find when you’re marking and dating leftovers.
  • Organize your pantry shelves as you would a library, with food items grouped by category.
  • Stash pantry items in the see-through pockets of an over-the-door organizer to virtually eliminate search time.
  • Keep plastic bags and wrapping together in a drawer near the refrigerator to make quick work of storing away leftovers.
  • Group cookware or tools by purpose and assign them to specific cabinets, as with the bakeware shown in the picture.
By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Fun Stories, Interesting Sites, Kitchen Organizing, Quick Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Organizing a bulletin board

June 10, 2010 – 1:13 pm

The displays got interactive at the Innovatively Organized booth at the Seattle Chamber tradeshow last month with our sample bulletin board.

The “before” bulletin board (top) is cluttered with random notes strewn about in a way that poses confusion about what needs to get done and when. The “after” board (bottom) shows a solution that incorporates many of the recommendations we make to clients on a daily basis, such as using a time map to schedule an ideal day, and dividing the board into specific sections to differentiate information like special dates and phone numbers and a weekly to do list.

By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Business Organizing, Fun Stories, Home Office Organizing, Productivity, Quick Tips, Student Organizing, Time Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Google shortcuts to save time

June 3, 2010 – 8:30 am

Google clearly leads the pack when it comes to search engines, but did you know about some of its less obvious functions?

  • Most users know that if you type a word incorrectly into the search box that Google will suggest the correct spelling; but you can also quickly pull up definitions of a word by typing, “define:” in front of the word. (Example: define: organize)
  • Google also has a built-in calculator. Your computer may have a pop-up calculator application, but it can be small and cumbersome. With Google, just type in a calculation like “20+80=” for a speedy answer.
  • Find out what time it is anywhere in the country or the world.  Just search on “time” and then the name of the city. To know the time in New York, use “time New York”.
  • Search for specific document types on the web by typing “filetype:” before your search term. For example, if you’re looking for PowerPoint files about organizing, enter “organizing filetype:ppt”.
By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Electronic Information Management, Fun Stories, Interesting Sites, Quick Tips, Time Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Shred-a-thon Events in your area

May 31, 2010 – 7:45 pm


Clearing paper clutter is important, but shredding sensitive papers is also critical to ensure against identity theft. Bookmark this page from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office web site that outlines local shredding events throughout the state in 2010.  Most of the free events let you bring up to two file boxes of documents. Get shredding!

  • PeELL: Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    Town of PeEll, 111 S. Main. Shredding provided by LeMay Mobile Shredding.
  • SPOKANE: Friday, June 4, 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    Amicus Credit Union, 6103 N. Astor St. Shredding provided by DeVries.
  • PUYALLUP: Saturday, June 5, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    Linden Grove Health Care, 400 29th St. N.E. Shredding provided by LeMay Mobile Shredding.
  • PORT TOWNSEND: Saturday, June 5, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
    First Federal Savings, 1321 W. Sims Way. Shredding provided by LeMay Mobile Shredding.
  • SEQUIM: Friday, June 18, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
    Windermere, 137 Fairway Dr. Canned food donations will be accepted for a local food bank. Shredding provided by LeMay Mobile Shredding.
  • CHEHALIS: Saturday, June 19, 9 a.m. – noon
    Security State Bank, 1431 NW Lousiana Ave. Shredding provided by LeMay Mobile Shredding.
  • EPHRATA: Friday, June 25, noon to 3 p.m.
    Horizon Credit Union, 260 C. St. S.W. Shredding provided by DeVries.
  • MOSES LAKE: Friday, June 25, noon to 3 p.m.
    Horizon Credit Union branches at 601 S. Pioneer Way and 1704 S. Clover Dr. Shredding provided by DeVries.
  • MEDICAL LAKE: Saturday, June 26, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
    WSECU, 205 E. State Route 902. Benefit for SCOPE. Shredding provided by DeVries. Limited to two file boxes or three shopping bags of personal items.
  • MONTESANO: Saturday, June 26, 10 a.m. – noon
    Community Credit Union, 211 E. Pioneer Ave. Shredding provided by LeMay Mobile Shredding.
    • By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Business Organizing, Finance and money, Fun Stories, Green Organizing, Home Office Organizing, Interesting Sites, Paper Management, Upcoming Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

    Why getting sleep means better productivity

    May 21, 2010 – 8:36 am

    A couple weeks ago, I wrote about shutting off portable electronics like your Blackberry or iPhone before going to bed to get restful sleep. But there’s also something to be said about why sleep is so important overall.

    Studies show that lack of sleep affects learning as well as your cognitive skills, and this affects your daily activities, whether it’s at school, home or work. While you’re sleeping, new things you’ve learned are being processed and memories are being organized and stored.

    Sacrificing sleep to get more done isn’t a good way to manage your time. In fact, the quality and performance level of your work will most likely suffer. However, getting adequate sleep will help maintain and may even increase your personal productivity.

    On a side note, if you have the advantage of working from home, a thirty-minute nap in the afternoon is proven to help reduce mental fatigue and digital fog.

    By Elizabeth Bowman | Posted in Business Organizing, Fun Stories, Productivity, Quick Tips, Time Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment