Organize Your Recipes

I found this great article from a fellow organizer on a topic I haven’t written about before – organizing recipes. I like Evie’s ideas, so I wanted to share them with you.

So, what do you do with all of these clippings, or perhaps you have recipes written out on scraps of paper you got from a friend or coworker sharing her favorite recipe? Here is my current system, and I must say, it is working really well for me. Maybe it will work for you too.

Get an accordion file folder and label each pocket into categories as you would your recipe box. Here is a suggested category list:

• Appetizers and Snacks
• Beef
• Beverages
• Breads & Muffins
• Cakes & Squares
• Cookies & Desserts
• Casseroles & Pasta
• Fish & Pork
• Misc. (Pickles, Sauces, Breakfasts, etc.)
• Poultry
• Salads & Vegetables
• Soups & Stews

Get a large recipe box for your cards. I found this two-drawer holder which is perfect. I use the top drawer only for “my” recipes and family recipes. Any that are in my mother’s handwriting have been laminated to protect them.

The lower drawer is for recipes I have made from TV shows, magazines, or from friends that are “keepers.”

This system works so well, that it doesn’t take long to find my recipe, it is only in one of three places:

• Recipe Cards
• Cookbooks
• Accordion Folder

If I had a larger home, I would love to designate a whole drawer with file folders to recipes, but since I have a small house, this system works really well. The accordion folder fits in the cupboard beside my cookbooks.

The system is: once I make a recipe from a cookbook or a magazine, and it is a “ten,” then I write it onto a recipe card. The cards are proven, tried and true.

Let me know what you use to organize your recipes. I am always looking for new systems and ways to improve.

Elvie Look is an Entrepreneur, Expert Organizer, Cook and Seamstress. She provides organizing solutions, tips, menus and recipes at http://www.elviesessentials.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elvie_Look

Originally posted 2011-03-19 12:07:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Identify Clutter With Three Easy Questions

What exactly is clutter? Can you easily identify the clutter in your home and life?

Clutter is anything unnecessary and extraneous. Clutter is much more than the physical clutter most of us think of. Getting organized means clearing out the clutter in your mind, heart, and life. As for the physical clutter, ask yourself the following three questions about each item in your home and life. If you can’t answer yes to at least one, it’s probably clutter!

1. Is it beautiful? A stunning piece of artwork enriches your life because it brings joy each time you see it. A gorgeous vase full of fresh flowers reduces stress and energizes your spirit.

2. Is it useful? Worded another way … does it serve a specific purpose in your life? For example, you use your 12-cup coffee maker every day. You couldn’t make it through the week without it.  In this case, the coffee maker serves a specific purpose in your life. However, let’s consider the tortilla maker stuffed in the back of your cabinet that you haven’t used for a year. Consider  this … you’ve done without this appliance for a year – so is it serving a specific purpose in your life? Is keeping this item worth the space it consumes?   (Don’t confuse this question with, “Will/Could it be useful someday?”).

3. Is it loved? The antique pocket watch from your grandfather is a precious reminder of him. Your favorite cashmere sweater makes you feel fabulous.

You’ll find that as you inventory your possessions, you may be able to answer “yes” to two or even three of the questions above. Those are the things that are most valuable to you. Remember, the goal of decluttering is not to get rid of everything. It’s simply to keep only things that you truly appreciate and actually use.

To stop clutter, prevent it from accumulating in the first place. Don’t give clutter a chance to form. As you’ve probably experienced, once clutter occupies a space, it has a way of multiplying and spreading like weeds.

Always remember to place your emphasis on quality (of life) over quantity. In other words, it’s not important to have a lot of things, many of which you never use. It’s more beneficial to have fewer things, all of which you use and/or enjoy.

Think before you buy. As a Professional Organizer, I believe over-buying is the crux of many of our clutter problems. Try to look beyond the initial “thrill of the purchase” and see what provides deeper moments of meaning. Before you buy, know the specific purpose and home for every item you purchase, and consider the time you’ll spend maintaining the item after you bring it home (and the space it consumes) – cleaning, storing, and maintaining. If you must buy, establish a “new item in, old item out” system where some purging takes place before shopping. This is a habit that we adhere to in our home consistently, especially in our closets.

Once you rid yourself of clutter (the unnecessary and unuseful) and make space only for what’s special, you’ll find it’s easier to get – and stay – organized! You’ll soon reap the many benefits of a clutter-free life: more energy, happier relationships, a well-organized home or office, more spontaneity, greater focus, new opportunities, and a better outlook on life.

For more great tips and strategies to organize and manage your home, family and life, get our e-book 77-page: Home Organization Secrets for Busy Moms

Originally posted 2010-04-15 12:04:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

10 Critical Tips for Clearing Office Clutter

Having trouble finding your desk amidst the clutter? Follow these easy steps, consistently, and you’ll experience greater focus and productivity as a result.

1. Define the purpose of each space in your office and be sure that everyone who shares the space understands how it is to be used.

2. Keep only high-use items on your desktop – computer, telephone, project files, good lighting, notepaper, stapler, To Do list, calendar/planner, and only what you are working on right now.

3. Use vertical space around your desk effectively – put photos and calendars on your wall, not on your desktop.

4. Organize supplies in a desk drawer organizer or supply drawer within “fingertip reach” of your desk chair.

5. Place a wastebasket, recycling bin, and/or shredder where you process your mail.

6. Trim the F.A.T. – File, Act, Toss. Professional Organizer, Barbara Hemphill tells us that the only choices we have for dealing with paper is to File it, Act on it, or Toss it.

7. Create zones in your workspace for incoming and outgoing paper, filing and a work surface. Resist co-mingling each zone.

8. Create an Action File System and place all “action required” items in the system. The Action File System works in-conjunction with your calendar. Simplified Spaces can help you implement this system in your office or home. CLICK HERE to learn more about our system.

9. File non-action required papers in an accessible “reference file system” CLICK HERE to learn more about the HomeFile System, a great reference file system we recommend.

10. Schedule office clean-up/organizing on your calendar, or you will always lean toward a competing priority. Face it … most of us would prefer to do about anything else than to spend a day organizing their office or home.

Being clear about what activities you want to perform in your workspace and where, having clear surfaces in which to work, and the tools you need to perform those activities in easy access, will significantly improve what you’re able to accomplish in a day. In the process, you’ll reduce your stress level and free up time and energy for what matters most. This is a preview from our upcoming booklet “The Simplified Office – A Complete Guide to Clear Office Clutter for Good!

Originally posted 2008-11-25 19:22:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Finally Get Organized in 2010 with a Declutter Challenge

One of the most interesting Declutter Challenges that I have come across is one called the “2010 in 2010 Declutter Challenge”. The concept is easy, and the results are huge! You simply choose one way to make the challenge work for you, and during the year 2010, declutter away! Keep track on a calendar and look forward to a having a much more organized home by the end of the year!

The first idea to get rid of 2010 ITEMS. Big items, small items, multiple part items, items from your garage, items stuffed into your attic, items that you can’t recall who gave them to you, items of which you have too many, items you never use or read any more.  If you are worried that you won’t be able to get rid of 2010 items, don’t forget that “get rid of” doesn’t have to only mean “throw away”. USE UP that huge supply of shampoo in your bathroom storage cupboard instead of buying new product! USE UP that overload of detergent, or that bulk purchase of canned tomatoes! As long as you are REDUCING YOUR CLUTTER item by item, you are succeeding in your challenge!

The second idea is to commit to decluttering for 2010 minutes in 2010! If you do the math, you will discover that it’s only about 45 minutes per week! Less than 10 minutes per day… which is not much at all, is it? 10 minutes of commercials well spent? 10 minutes of waiting for your ride to come? Have a small declutter project for the week, set the timer at 45 minutes, and simply declutter your way down to zero each week!

A third idea is to declutter 2,010 pounds of “stuff”! I know it sounds like a lot, and it is. However, this Declutter Challenge may be perfectly suited for those who have excess furniture taking up space that they would love to get back, stacks of heavy catalogues or magazines stashed in the basement, or a garage piled high with who-knows-what. Purchase or borrow a basic scale, or ask the weight at the dump where you drop off your big load. Decluttering 2,010 pounds from your house in the year 2010 will no doubt give you a lot more space, and get rid of a lot of unnecessary clutter!

If you take the 2010 in 2010 Declutter Challenge in any of the forms suggested, or if you adjust it to suit your own particular needs, you will take a huge leap towards your desired clutter-free state. Enjoy your challenge and get clutter free!

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-2010-in-2010-Declutter-Challenge&id=3588705] The 2010 in 2010 Declutter Challenge

Originally posted 2010-01-28 12:51:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

5 Easy Steps to Meeting Deadlines

This article by Professional Organizer Denise Landers discusses 5 easy steps to help you meet deadlines; and 3 of the 5 are directly related to getting organized and how important getting organized is in getting things done and on time.

It is tough to work under the gun, but it’s something we all need to do from time to time, either because we put a project off until the last minute, or because we had a heavy dose of work dumped on our heads.

Regardless of the cause, however, developing the skill to meet tight deadlines can do big things for your career – managers and executives love employees who can finish work on time, and team members who can organize and execute quickly usually rise to the top.

With that in mind, here are five tips to doing great work on a tight deadline:

1. Clear the decks. The first thing to do, when you need to produce great work in a hurry, is to allow yourself to concentrate on it. That means making some space, both mentally and physically. Try to clean up your work area so that nothing else is going to distract you. And at the same time, clear your head of other thoughts and problems as much as you can. If something else is bugging you, make a note to come back to it later; you want to be able to keep your eyes on the road.
2. Know exactly what you are working on. This is actually good advice in just about any working situation, but is especially critical when you are under the gun. Find out decisively what is expected, and exactly what your deadline is, before you begin. Otherwise, you could waste countless hours working in the wrong direction.
3. Get organized. There is a tendency, when we are under stress, to jump right in and “just do it.” Big mistake. To get the most out of your time, spend a little bit of it – even if it is just a few minutes – organizing all the relevant data and components. A little bit of time figuring out where to start can save you quite a bit later on.
4. You are usually better early than late. While most of us have had the experience of pulling an “all-nighter” at one point or another, the practice is usually counterproductive. You are almost always better off getting some sleep and rising early to finish a project than you are staying up deep into the night and trying to stay fresh. Additionally, many of your best ideas and insights are likely to come when you aren’t thinking directly about the task in front of you, anyway. So, feel free to get some sleep or take a break to rest your mind –it is hard to walk away when you are in a hurry, but it might just speed you up in the long run.
5. Know when to move on. One of the biggest challenges of working quickly is fighting the impulse to be a perfectionist. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do your best work, but if it keeps you from getting other things done – and possibly making the next item on your list even more urgent – then you are not helping yourself. Get into the habit of doing a good job, finishing a project, and then moving on… it is not always easy, but it is usually best.

How do you know when being perfect is too perfect? Since learning to finish projects and then letting go can help you achieve so much more than obsessing over details, here are a few tips for learning when to wrap it up and move on:

• Diagnose yourself. If you are still reading to this point, there is a good chance you have recognized some perfectionist tendencies in yourself in the past. Ask yourself: do other people routinely finish their work before you? Do you find yourself agonizing over details that might not matter that much? If so, you might have some work to do.
• Set firm deadlines. One easy way to beat perfectionism is to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to finish a project, and then stick to it. Once the time is up, finish things the best you can, and then submit your work and move on. Over time, this practice will help you to recognize when you really need to make revisions, and when you are simply focusing too tightly on things that aren’t important.
• Ask for feedback, and then let go. As part of this process, ask your supervisors or peers to see whether they notice a big difference in the quality of your work. If they still think you are doing a great job, then learn to let go of tiny imperfections and get things finished more quickly.

Don’t give up perfectionism altogether. Of course, there are going to be some parts of your life where a perfectionist streak is a good thing. For example, if you are a cardiologist, most of your patients would probably approve of you trying to get things just right. But, it is important that you figure out which parts of your personal and professional life require 100% accuracy, and which areas simply need to be finished on time. Learning to tell the difference is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your productivity.

Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. As a national speaker, trainer, consultant, and writer she provides clients and audiences with the time management training tools and techniques that improve daily work flow and increase productivity.

Originally posted 2011-01-18 13:14:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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