let's
get organized.
i should start out by saying that i love organization.
i really do.
it just doesn't easily make it's way into my life.
my life has been beyond crazy lately.
i have been trying really hard to keep things
organized, & in place, & in order.
but, it's
hard.
now i am finally making this a
priority.
things are winding down for the summer.
i am settling into my new job.
we
need a routine.
and i keep envisioning our organized and routine-filled
fall & winter months ahead.
{i. can't. wait.}
and so, i need your help.
first off..
.
finances.
i just bought a copy of
Quicken last week
& have been slowly implementing this for our finances.
so far i love it,
but don't know the in's & out's yet.
{getting there...}
any tips & tricks for this?
{i am currently not using the auto-updates which links it to our checking online,
because i thought it was too confusing & not the
real balance.
so i'm manually entering everything- basically using it as a checkbook & a bill calendar}
for the physical bills- right now, i have two slots in my organizer on our desk..
1 for the bills that have just come in & i haven't opened yet
and 1 for the bills that i have opened, entered into Quicken & are waiting to be paid.
how do you do this?
how long do you keep hard copies of bills/checks?
.
meal planning.
this is something that we desperately need to get better at.
we never know what we are having for dinner until that night at 6 o'clock.
and it's exhausting.
our plan is to start making a set schedule for the week
& hitting up the store every sunday to prepare for the week ahead.
i think this is fairly common?
what is your routine for this like?
i am digging heart of light's meal planner
notepads & think they would work for us.
also, what are some of your favorite recipes?
we're in need of some new ones to freshen up our dinners.
& do you tend to make the same things every week?
how often do you switch it up?
.
clothes.
yes, this is a weird one.
but something that drives me crazy.
i have a terrible memory and couldn't even tell you what i wore yesterday.
for this very reason,
i need some way of tracking my outfits {mainly just for work everyday}.
this will help me to make sure i am utilizing all available clothing pieces
and not showing up to work in the very outfit i wore two days prior.
hello, embarrasment.
i know this sounds crazy, but it is a serious problem for me.
does anyone have a system for this type of thing that works?
or is no one out there as crazy and memory-stricken as i am?
let's hope not.
.
to do lists.
you all know i love a good list.
& i have a constant to-do list going on.
right now i have a little notebook that i carry with me everywhere
to add to and check off as things come about.
the problem with this is that things tend to carry over for weeks sometimes
and i end up flipping between 5 pages just to make sure i have everything done.
not sure that there is a quick fix for this other than to stop procrastinating,
but hey, it was a worth a shot?
how do you keep track of the mumble-jumble of things
that you have to remember to do, buy, call, etc.
.
photos.
this is a biggie for me for obvious reasons.
i have a method that i'm currently using,
but i'm interested to see if there is a better way for me.
both digital & physical photos.
right now i basically store all of my digital photos by date.
this is handy because i can remember when most events were,
but with photo sessions for other people it is getting a bit tricky
and i just don't think it is the most effective.
i'm thinking maybe by year-month-event would be better,
but i also tend to have a huge amount of random photos
& i'm not sure how this will work.
anyway, what do you do?
also, how many of your digital photos do you chose to print physically?
do you have photo albums everywhere?
or just enough to fill frames that you want?
and what about old pre-digital camera photos?
i'm in desperate need of getting those safely tucked away
in a proper order that is easy to find
& easy to grab if our house is burning down!
help. help. help.
.
addresses.
do you have a physical address book?
or online? or in your phone?
i have yet to find a method that works good for me in this area.
physical ones are just too much work
& too much to lug around.
my phone doesn't have a good place to store actual addresses
& my aol for sure won't do the trick.
what do you use?
i would love to have something accessible from home & work & on the road?
.
music.
obviously the most important of all. ;)
my itunes is not very organized right now
{that is on my list}
but how do you keep your physical cds?
do you have physical cds of every song on your itunes?
i don't know about you,
but that's a lot of cds for me!
do you keep them all in your car
or in your house & take as needed to the car?
i'm lacking a system here
because i always have random cds flying everywhere.
which results in cd scratches,
which results in spending way too much money on blank cds.
help.
i have a super extra huge case that would hold a lot,
but i'm not sure i would want that in my car all the time?
whew! that was a lot to get out.
i'm hoping you lovelies out there have some good tips for me!
i'm heading over to
real simple in the meantime to see if they have good ideas.
i'm also going to buy
thisbecause i have wanted it forever
& now is the perfect time
to organize my life
& my lists.
so, as you can see, i need help.
lots of it.
any suggestions for my previously mentioned bad areas?
any tips & tricks about any organizing methods?
any amazing organizational pieces i should buy?
i see that etsy has quite the selection of homemade goodies for this.
my husband will thank you dearly!
xx
chelsea{etsy goodies found here, here, here & here}.
