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Guest Post: Organizing School Paperwork

January 11, 2012 · Comments { 6 }

As we all know, managing paperwork can get out of hand. With the right system in place however, it can be very simple.

Today I am thrilled to have Jen from one of my favorite home organizing blogs, I heart organizing here today to show us how she keeps the school paperwork from her three boys in order… and stylishly I might add. I will be downloading the darling {and free} file labels for sure! Thanks Jen!!!

Each and every day when my little ones hop off of the bus and come running in through the front door, they take off all their gear and give their mama some major hugs! That’s my favorite part. And then they take out piles and piles of paperwork. Piles. And more piles. It’s like crazy amounts of papers each and every day.

Tackling these piles can quickly get overwhelming, since it seems never ending. And if they don’t get dealt with, the piles can create mass chaos…. I know, I have been there!

We typically go through all of their work, and file all the necessities in their personal bins.

This is always our “go to” place for all things related to the kid’s schooling and activities. However, to ensure the bin doesn’t overflow with all the papers I can’t part with, I had created this binder system to house all my favs.

I actually pre-made three binders that matched for all of my boys, even though Parker hadn’t even started school yet. Because I wanted them all to match. And this crazy girl thought that she could get ALL of their elementary paperwork into one binder….

I tend to hold on to all their important tests, report cards, paperwork showing milestones being made, etc… and it ended up being more than I originally planned for. And that’s ok. It is always one of my favorite ways to go down memory lane with the little ones… they really get a kick out of looking at their older papers as well. So instead of pairing down even more, which tends to be my first reaction, I decided I needed a new storage approach. One that will be manageable as they continue to learn and grow, yet is easy to maintain.

So I snagged three file boxes. You can get them anywhere, office supply stores, Target and Walmart, Amazon… They come in so many shapes and sizes and colors!

The goal was to place thirteen hanging files into each file box. One file for each grade, Kindergarten through Twelfth.

Enter these labels {notice they look slightly different from my photos due to a recent formatting update to accommodate more users}:

free labels for organizing kids schoolwork

{click here to download your FREE copy – Avery Address Labels 5160}

{click here to download your FREE PDF copy – Avery File Labels 5366}
{click here to download your FREE Microsoft WORD copy – Avery File Labels 5366}

You can download them for free! I just printed the labels out on standard address labels and popped them on each of the fourteen {times three boys} file folders.

The next goal was to add a little coversheet to each folder, giving a quick explanation of the contents and showcasing a fantastic school portrait of my little guy, for each current year.

{Click Here to Download this School Paperwork Coversheet}

You can download your own copy of these also! Do you feel the love?

I just printed out a copy onto cardstock for each folder, for each year and popped them inside. Doing this ahead of time will ensure a consistent look for all years down the line, and make it easier to keep up as the years come and go.

Then, just using a glue stick, I glued the year’s school photo to each sheet, and filled out all the year’s information in the blanks, which ended up making a perfect coversheet for each folder!

And although the file box looks like it is all filled up….

There is definitely plenty of room to grow! Which is exactly what this proud mama needed!

I just pop the cover on and stow away on a nearby shelf. Making this a really easy system to maintain. Oh imagine the giddiness!!

School paperwork is always a hot topic that I have gotten oodles of emails about, so if there are any other storage ideas or solutions that are working well for you, we would all heart to know!

Read full story By Cristin on January 11, 2012 in baby and children, file folders, home organization, organization tips, Organizational tips, Paperwork, school paperwork

5 Steps to Organize Your Home Office

January 9, 2012 · Comments { 15 }

When it comes to organizing my home, my office seems to always be last on the list of priorities. This year however, stream-lining my home office is high on the list of things to do. Is it on yours? If yes, here are five simple steps to making your office space functional and beautiful…

{image from Jan Showers}

One: De-clutter

Start by removing all clutter. Toss, recycle or donate the items that are broken, not being used or don’t hold any sentimental value. Perhaps all those dried up pens and broken pencils? How about donating that extra calculator to a local school? When is the last time you read or referenced that book? Purging will help fight exhausting visual clutter in your office and is an easy exercise to perform monthly or quarterly.

{image from Rue Magazine}

Two: File

Don’t over complicate your filing system. The simpler the better. Think about how you look for a particular file or piece of paper. What would be the easiest way for you to find it? Then create a file system that works for you. Don’t worry about it being perfect. You can always go back and modify later.

In our home office, I prefer the FreedomFiler – a self-purging file system. It was a recommendation by another professional organizer and now recommend it to my own clients. FreedomFiler has compiled a wonderful {and free} learning center that explains the art of filing successfully.

{image from Coco+Kelley}

Three: Purge a File or Two

Pick a file drawer and shred all documents that you no longer need to save. Here is quick overview from Bankrate.com of which records you need to keep and which ones your need to toss {shred}:

Taxes – Keep seven years. The IRS has three years from your filing date to audit your return if it suspects good faith errors and six years if it thinks you under-reported your gross income by 25 or more.
IRA contributions – Keep permanently.
Retirement/Savings plan statements – From one year to permanently. Keep the quarterly statements until you receive your annual summary; keep the annual summaries until you retire or close the account.
Bank records – Keep from one year to permanently. Throw away checks that have no long-term importance, but keep checks related to your taxes, business expenses and housing and mortgage payments.
Brokerage statements – Keep until you sell your securities.
Bills – Keep from one year to permanently. In most cases, when you receive the canceled check, the bill can be tossed. However, you should keep bills for big purchases (e.g., jewelry, appliances, cars, collectibles, etc.) for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.
Credit card receipts and statements – Keep from 45 days to seven years. Keep the statements seven years if they document tax-related expenses.
Paycheck stubs – Keep one year. If your W-2 form matches your stubs, you can toss your stubs.
House/Condominium records and receipts – Keep from six years to permanently.

In addition, its a good idea to create a “life” folder or binder that contains the important legal, medical and financial documents {i.e. will, trust, power of attorney, marriage license, etc.} that family members can access in case of an emergency. The WSJ has comprised a comprehensive list of documents your should include. It is also advised to have a copy of these life documents kept with your attorney or in a safety deposit box at a bank.

{image from Lonny}

Four: Organize a Desk Drawer

Desk drawers tend to be dumping grounds. Another way to help streamline your home office is to organize desk drawers. Start by taking everything out of it and sorting through the contents and placing in groups (i.e. pens, note pads, paper clips, etc.). Items that belong in other areas of the home should go in a box temporarily and put away at a later time. Sort through the contents, donating, recycling or tossing out whatever is no longer useful.

Using containers or dividers to corral supplies not only adds function, but can add a touch a style to your desk. There so many organizing tray and divider options for drawers. Before you purchase any drawer dividers however, measure the drawer {width and height} to know what will fit. Also, keep in mind the sizes and quantities of the items you want to store to ensure you purchase the best option. Once you have decided what works for you, then arrange the office supplies back into the drawer using the different containers or sections of the organizer tray to keep things neat and easy to find.

{image from Lonny}

Five: Stream-line Your Desk Top

The easiest way to do this is to remove all items from your desktop except for items that are absolutely necessary for your work (i.e. phone, computer, task light). Determine which items you use on a daily basis (i.e. pen & pencil holder, letter tray) and place them back onto the desk. Add a personal item or two (i.e. family photo, decorative figurine or small plant). The other items that you have removed will need to find a new home (i.e. desk drawer, filing cabinet, recycle bin).

It might take a few organizing sessions for you to complete all these tasks, but you will be so happy with the results!

Happy organizing!

Read full story By Cristin on January 9, 2012 in Decluttering, home organization, office/study, Organization, organization tips

Friday Find: Chic Lacquer Boxes and Stop Procrastinating

January 6, 2012 · Comments { 8 }

With organizing a priority for many of us this month, I wanted to share these chic lacquer boxes I found at The Container Store. Available in a variety of colors to fit any color scheme, they are perfect for housing jewelry, office supplies or craft materials. And the price is reasonable at $12.99 each.

Speaking of organizing. Are you having trouble getting organized and don’t know how to start? Many times the biggest hurdle in getting organized is procrastinating. The first step in stopping procrastination is to take action and keep it simple. Select the one project you must get done to feel productive. It may be going through that pile of mail, purging old shoes from your closet, or organizing the utensil drawer. Keep it simple and choose a manageable item you can complete in 5-15 minutes. Break the day up into a series of “sessions” for other tasks and balance the time spent planning with time spent doing. Don’t over think it and take too much time planning because this too can cause procrastination. Once complete, review your progress, pat yourself on the back (or reward yourself with a nice glass of vino) and plan your tasks for the next day. I find my clients get more and more motivated as they complete tasks.

I would love to hear about your organizing projects and favorite products that keep your space beautifully neat. Please send me an email or share on Facebook.

Happy organizing!

*It’s not too late to enter to win a $100 gift certificate from Empire Patio Covers!

Read full story By Cristin on January 6, 2012 in friday find, home organization, organization tips, storage

Cute 2012 At-A-Glance Calendar for the Desktop

January 3, 2012 · Comments { 7 }

Time management. It’s an important part of getting organized. My daily planner helps me keep track of day-to-day tasks, appointments and events, but I also like having a simple at-a-glance calendar.

Red Stamp has released some really cute, digital desktop calendars for 2012 and like last year they are free to download! I’m really loving the darling designs and you can find them all here. Thanks Red Stamp!