Sometimes we just don't have enough space for another garbage can/shredder. But you still want to organize that incoming paperwork everyday like the daily mail. So, get through those papers everyday by tossing the junk mail and shredding the other paper that might have personal information like account numbers. If you don't have a lot of space try a handheld shredder you hold over the trash.
Check out Innodesk handheld shredder that cuts 3 folded sheets of paper including the envelope. Its so small you can then store the in a drawer.

Do you have a drawer full of take out menus? How about duplicate menus? Its time organize that junk drawer and say goodbye to every menu in the city. Check out Grubhub.com and find restaurants that deliver to your address. Just type in your address and Grubhub.com gives you a list of restaurants, menus and reviews!
Traveling next week and need your delivery fix? Go to Grubhub.com and find out what restaurants are still open and who can deliver late night to your hotel.

When was the last time you went through that box of electronic parts and cords? If everything in your home is working, everyone has their phone and ipod charger what is happening with that box of miscellaneous wires etc? Time to take stock, get rid of all the unnecessary items and organize those electronics!
If you find 5 pieces of a digital camera put them all in a plastic Ziploc bag and write "digital camera", same goes for the cell phone accessories like car charger, ear buds and usb cord. If you can separate the electronics from the computer stuff that would be great! But if you don't have extra room, keep them all in the same storage bin.

Oh, the holidays! It is always in fun time at my house especially with all the decorations, food and activities. If you especially liked your decorations this year, make your 2008 holiday decorating a breeze by taking photos of each room with each decoration in place. For instance did you enjoy the look of the bathroom? Take a photo. How about the kitchen or dinning room buffet? Take pictures of these areas so you remember what items went where. If you don’t get a chance to take the photos right the location of the item on a piece of tape or post it note and attach to the bottom of the item. If there are a few items left over in you holiday supply that didn’t get used this year, write that down on the post in note – “Did not use 2007”. If you don’t use them again in 2008 you might want to rethink storing for 2009.

Bonus tip – Store each room of decorations together. Be sure to pack delicate items carefully in smaller boxes with compartments or wrap in bubble wrap and tissue.
Happy Packing!

Are you still finding loose change everywhere around your home? Did you find a container to hold all of your change? Well, if you have been filling up your container and haven’t had a chance to drop if off at the bank or coin machine give it to a good cause. Bring the container full of change to your local shopping center and give it to your Salvation Army Red Kettle. Volunteers are outside ringing the bell of hope and would be thrilled to have you pour all of your loose change in the kettle.

I love the festivities the holidays bring. The lights, parties, seeing friends, family and of course the gifts! But sometimes during all the excitement we forget to play it safe especially while shopping for all of those gifts. This year clear out your wallet of any unnecessary credit cards and personal information just in case you loose your wallet. You will have piece of mind knowing you only need to cancel one lost card instead of 10. By removing additional cards your holiday purchases will be easier to calculate post holiday.

Many people are book lovers and collect stacks and stacks of them. But sometimes there are just too many books and no room for your newbie’s. Here's a plan to conquer that growing library. Divide all your books into "to read" and "already read." For the "already read" category, decide if you would like to display them. Do you really want your friends seeing your collection of Harlequin novels? Is it likely that you’ll refer to that book again or have the time to reread it with so many new books coming out? Trust me, if you like reading…you will buy more books. If you decide you can part with the books you’ve read, there are so many organizations that can put them to good use. In Chicago we have a place called "Open Books" that will pick up books and put them to good use. Also, ask your local library or schools if they'd like donations. Think about it as sharing your love of books with others.
Now let’s take a look at the "to be read" pile. Will you really read it, or have you lost interest? Perhaps it was a gift, and you know you will never read it. Add those books to the donation pile.
Now that you’ve whittled the pile down, figure out what categories you have – Reference, Self-Help, History, Romance, etc. Now you can tackle the storage challenge. Good-looking reference books and hardcovers can be attractively displayed on shelves in the living room, family room or den. Also, coffee table books don’t all have to go on the coffee table – where will you put your coffee? Add a bookshelves to each room where you want to read. Like reading in bathroom? Put some books in there! Like reading in bed – add a shelf there too, but keep the reference books and finance out of the sleeping area.

In my last post, I talked about why you need to do a weekly bag clean out and why its
important (if you don’t, your purse turns into a garbage can - gross!) So I’m continuing with my purse theme.
I love my hobo bag and purse. I think they are the best bags I've ever used. Since I am a storage LOVER this brand is perfect for everything. The manufacturer has carefully designed every single compartment for me in mind. Pockets are all a perfect size for essentials, with many great features. BUT sometimes its just one too many pockets and I end up putting too many things in my bag and I'm literally lost in my bag...ouch. So don't go and try to over fill these bags with things that don't belong - ...hello! Don’t try to stuff in your workout clothes or lunch. Add a tote, briefcase or duffle bag if you need it.

While getting organized is a BIG goal, don't forget that mastering small habits can have a big payoff. For most of my clients, that starts with their keys. Who knows how much time we all lose looking for keys each day? I suggest setting up a key station by the door you use most. This could be an attractive box or key hooks.
It takes 21 days to establish a habit, so for the next three weeks, focus on putting your keys in this spot as soon as you come in the door. I promise you, a month from now, you'll be on your way to saving hours of time and frustration. An added benefit: seeing how breaking down a big goal into small steps leads to success establishes the way to make positive changes in all aspects of your life.

Organizing can be tricky. And sometimes seems to be virtually impossible. You look around at your overstuffed shelves and bursting closets and say "I don't like this, it just doesn't work". But to think about the task of actually going through these items and attempting to get organized just gives you a headache. You look at it all again and say "It's fine" and close the door.

One thing to think about the next time you want to get organized is to see if you can use another space in your home to deal with he lack of space in another room.

For instance, you might not be able to use the shelves in your office efficiently without first getting rid of some of the things that have lived there for years. But where are you going to put them? Maybe they are important and you can't part with them. Its apparent the new plastic boxes are not going to fix the problem or any other organizing tool. Sometimes we just cant organize the space we work in until we move some things around to another room. You need to find space elsewhere in your home.

Go around your home or office and search for unoccupied space. Look in cabinets, closets and drawers. You may have 3 junk drawers full of items that could be put away elsewhere or thrown out. Or a cabinet stuffed with plastic grocery bags. Remove those items to make room for office supplies or a project that you have been working on that just keeps getting knocked around and just never had a home. Nobody ever said you couldn't store Non-kitchen items in an kitchen cabinet or drawer. Use space wherever it is available and you will always know where to find it.