Have Yourself An Organized Christmas

Want to experience a Christmas without the craziness? I am afraid I am unable to do much about family members but a Christmas Organizing Notebook can serve as the foundation of your holiday organization year after year. By creating a notebook, you will have everything at your fingertips and you can continuously reference it for reminders and direction concerning your holiday plans.

Since everyone is different with very different lives, your notebook will be unique to you and your family. I want to give you the skeleton of how to set up a good notebook and let you add what is important to you. For it to work, it has to be reflective of you and your family’s style as it will become a holiday organizing road map to help you celebrate your own special holiday season.

Basic Supplies to Create Your Christmas Notebook

The first item you need to purchase is a 3-ring binder large enough to contain all of your information. You can start small and expand as necessary, remember to decorate it to make it fun. If you notice one area of your notebook, like crafts for example, getting too large, you may want to consider having a separate notebook for that particular section.

The list below is a suggestion of items to have when working on your notebook. You may want to add other items, as you need them.
 1 to 3 inch 3-ring binder
 3 hole punch
 Index dividers for 3 ring binder
 Heavy duty sheet protectors for keeping loose items in (example: recipe or craft ideas from magazines, receipts from gifts you purchase, etc.)
 Notebook paper
 Zippered pouch to hold pens, pencils and other loose items
 Calendar for the whole year (can be a store bought one, or printed from a computer program)
 Pages designed with photo pockets on them (usually 4 to a page) where you can put recipe cards and/or address cards
 Set of skinny markers or colored pens

Creating Sections for Your Notebook

Here is a list of tab ideas. Do not feel locked in to these because only you know exactly what you need. Decide what areas are the most important to you and make those YOUR tabs. It would be unfair of me to dictate your tabs without your input. Everyone’s notebook will be different because everyone has their own traditions and celebrations during the holiday season. Think of all the things you do at Christmas and make a tab for each of them. I recommend more, smaller divisions rather than just a couple big ones. This helps to tackle those tasks as small pieces instead of trying to tackle something huge all at once.

Here is an example from my notebook:

Christmas card list & addresses (lasts longer if printed from the computer)
Gifts (Gift Box, Gift List, Gifts from the Heart and General Gift Ideas)
Calendar (for all year)
Activities to do
Crafts
Baking/recipes
Cooking/recipes
Decorating
Entertaining

Christmas is barely more than 30 days away and the sooner you get your notebook together the better organized you will be once it arrives. Imagine how much fun the holidays can be without so much stress from being disorganized.

Have a Neat day!
Jennifer Snyder
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
http://www.neatasapin.net

Photo Credits: Vintage Cuteness

Reducing Holiday Stress

Let’s face it, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is also the most hectic and stressful. With so many things to do, shopping, wrapping, baking, remembering to move the elf; and limited time to do them we soon feel overwhelmed. If you’re one of those people feeling more frazzled than festive, taking the time to use a few time management strategies can reduce stress over the holidays; you’ll feel as if you’re in control, rather than feeling like you’re being driven like one of Santa’s reindeer.

Make a list. If it works for Santa, it will work for you. Divide a page into two columns and write the things you MUST do (move the elf) on one side and the things you WANT to do (make the no-sew ruffle tree skirt on Pinterest) on the other. This will give you a healthy dose of perspective right off the bat.

Carefully choose holiday activities
Many of us do what we do during the holiday season just because we always have, turning the entire month of December into a mad whirl of non-stop Christmas preparations and activities. Do you really need to spend hours writing and sending Christmas cards or making hundreds of chocolate balls? If you enjoy these activities then by all means continue, but if you don’t, free up some of that time for something more meaningful.

Start early
Get as much done as early as possible, this year and every year. By the time you read this you may be thinking it is too late but it is never too late! If you typically buy and wrap all gifts on Christmas Eve, December 23rd is still an improvement. Food for the holiday season can be bought in advance, and Christmas gifts can be bought any time of year. Stretching out your Christmas activities over a longer period of time can really help reduce stress.

Get help!
Who says you personally have to wrap all the Christmas gifts, do all the baking, and do all the holiday season decorating? This year, give yourself the gift of holiday stress relief by patronizing a local bakery, hiring a cleaning service to clean your home, or even having your holiday season party or festive dinner catered. Think about how much your time (and sanity) is worth, and contract out accordingly.

Hopefully a few small changes will have a big impact on your holiday season. Remember to take time for yourself. A $5 cup of coffee after a day of shopping can make all the difference in the world.

Wishing you a Neat holiday!
Jennifer Snyder
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
http://www.neatasapin.net

Photo Credits: lilybeanpaperie.typepad.com

The Problem with Paper

The Problem With Paper

Look at your home or office. Are there more pieces of paper lying around than you would prefer? If we were keeping track, I would guess that more than 50% of readers would answer a resounding YES! Paper continues to be the #1 organizing challenge in most households. In spite of the attempts to go “paperless”, paper clutter continues to plague many people.

I have said this before and it bears mentioning again: It is not the paper that is the problem, it is what the paper represents – our hopes, dreams, fears, intentions, history. Don’t believe me? Pick up the piece of paper nearest you. What does the piece of paper really mean to you? Why is it important? Is it really?

Here is a perfect example.
Believe it or not magazines are paper too. We have made enough progress in our clutter-busting to tear out the articles from our magazines that are meaningful to us. Now what? They sit around until they are filed and if they get filed they are forgotten. A simple Google search will provide you with the same information as any reputable magazine will have an online version. Those papers aren’t necessary to your happiness, no matter how cute the fruit bouquet found in the article may be.

If you would like your papers to be more organized but don’t know where to start, you have come to the right place! Gather up one pile, preferable your most recent then look at each paper individually. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Does it require action?
2. Is it recent enough to be useful?
3. Is it difficult to obtain again?
4. Are there tax or legal implications?
5. What is the worst thing that could happen if it were gone?

Once you have eliminated what you can realistically live without, you can now better organize what remains.

I offer, through my website, a step-by-step method for managing your files that are necessary to keep. This workbook is completely free. Please visit my website at http://www.neatasapin.net to sign up to get yours emailed directly to you.

Paper does not have to keep you bogged down. You are in control and we can help!

Have a Neat day!
Jennifer Snyder, CPO
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts

Photo Credits: etsy.com

Paper Is Harmless

Vintage Vertical File Drawers are Neat as a Pin

We all know (or should) that clutter is simply delayed decision making. Almost everyone can relate to this in terms of their closets. They become filled with clothes that we are undecided about…are we going to lose weight to get back into them, are we ever going to find the perfect top to wear with that skirt bought on sale, are we ever going to wear those shoes enough so they are comfortable? I could go on and on. Our closets are important; don’t get me wrong, but where the decision dilemmas matter most is in regards to our papers.
And so it is with paper… Counters, desks, file cabinets, and storage containers fill up with paper because we’re unwilling to make the time or decision to toss, shred, recycle, or digitize.
In reality, however, the problem is really not the paper. The problem is what the paper represents. Paper represents our intentions, our dreams, and our fears—our past, present and future. It’s often very easy to help someone else clean up their paper, but very difficult to clean up our own, because we don’t want to face our own emotions.

Keeping paper is a practical issue. You can keep everything you want if you are willing to pay the price—the price of time, space, money, and energy. We should want to make decisions regarding our paper and a small impetus is usually all that is required to start the ball rolling. A good therapist, coach, or professional organizer can help you determine the price you are paying for your paper.

In the meantime, if you struggle with paper, sort into the following categories
a. Action required
b. Pay
c. File
d. Decide Later
e. Trash/Recycle

It is also prudent to also include a Tax file. These few files (NOT piles) will help take the sting out of your paper situation.

Paper is harmless in itself, the only power it has over you is what you give it.

Have a Neat day!
Jennifer Snyder, CPO
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
http://www.neatasapin.net

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RevivalSmith/103076066434388#!/pages/RevivalSmith/103076066434388

The Monster in the Mailbox

You know what they are…they arrive virtually every day delivered right to your house by the courier dressed in blue and driving the queer square vehicle. They elicit a sense of dread upon contact and sometimes the dread increases after the initial contact. That’s right, I’m talking about bills! Bills for the phone, electricity, homeowners association, insurance, and an ever widening variety of other things and services…Bills, Invoices, and Statements…
We all have them and there is no getting away from them. They come in the form of paper or email, both of which prove to be very stressful for most people. Although they are the bane of existence for most normal folks, they will never go away and it is best to pay them as soon as they come in to avoid forgetting them. If cash flow prevents paying bills right away then a good method for managing them is in order.

If bill cannot be paid right away, I would recommend at the very least keeping up with a calendar or document where you can enter the due date to prevent missing it. An electronic calendar whether on your computer or smart phone is best so you can program it to send you reminders. This one small step could possibly save you thousands in late fees.

Here is how I recommend you handle those pesky bills once and for all…

1. Check your mail every day! I understand this can be a daunting task but fortunately the USPS gives you a day to recuperate on Sundays!
2. Remove all of the extraneous information included in the envelope – this includes the original mailing envelope. If you mail your payments, keep the return envelope and statement only.
3. Note the due date in your calendar then file in a ToBePaid file. This file should be easily accessible and look strikingly different than other files.
4. As soon as possible pay your bills! Pay them in order of their due date and if that is not feasible, pay them in order of importance.

If you receive electronic statements and make all payments online, use a similar process in your email inbox. The most important thing to remember is to flag these items in your inbox and keep unnecessary items out. Unnecessary items include forwards with cute pictures and marketing emails.

There are many ways to keep up with your bills and this method is not intended as an all around crowd pleaser. Use this as an inspiration to come up with a fool-proof system that works for you and remember, try to pay your bills as soon as they arrive!

Have a Neat day!
Jennifer Snyder
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
http://www.neatasapin.net
Facebook & Pinterest: Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
Twitter: @neatasapin

Photo Credit: bellesreveries.com

Organizing for the Dreaded Taxes

Tax season is among us and I am always surprised at how many people are not prepared…at all. The ominous IRS is enough to keep me tallying my receipts all year long, but for many, this is not so. The question is, how can you be ready for the accountant once all of the W-2’s and 1099’s arrive?

The solution is really very simple. I basic three-ring binder and some sheet protectors. Label the binder or purchase one different from any others you may own. Label each of the sheet protectors with its intended contents.

W-2s go in one, medical receipts in another and so on. The more items you must have for taxes the more sheet protectors you will need. Not to worry, they sell them in boxes of 100. If your taxes are multi-faceted then use separate binders for each facet. Again…label – label – label!! If you don’t label them you will spend more time locating the appropriate place or even worse, just stashing information anywhere it will fit. The plan is simple, diligence is the key.

Now, here is a firm recommendation…when you purchase the supplies and prepare you labels for your 2012 taxes, make a duplicate for 2013. You follow me? As your receipts come in throughout the year, slide them into the appropriate sleeve. This might help keep receipts more manageable throughout the year and prevent you (or your expensive accountant) from sifting through 300 Sonic Happy Hour receipts to find the important ones.

Now, I am not an accountant, by any means. I can simply help make tax time easier by providing some organizational insight. An ounce of organization can save you a ton of stress!

Have a Neat day!
Jennifer
http://www.neatasapin.net
Facebook & Pinterest: Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
Twitter: @neatasapin