Help! My desk doesn't have enough room for the bills!

Here is an email I got from a lady with a question about where to store her bills.

"I need to have a place to store my bills to be paid. My desk doesn't have enough room on it and has become an inferno! It doesn't seem to make sense to keep the bills in the kitchen when I actually pay them at the desk in the living room. Any suggestions of where to keep my bills (besides on my already too small desk) for little or no cost?"

1. A pretty box with a lid (I would suggest keeping the bills, stamps, envelopes, pen, etc., all together in the box to make bill paying easier. )
2. A tote bag
3. A used briefcase from the thrift store
4. A binder with pocket folders
5. An old purse
6. A manila envelope marked "bills"
7. A lunch box

Organizing Experts

One day last week I was at a business meeting. I was there a few minutes early and was chatting with some others that had already arrived. One of the women asked me a specific question about organizing. I answered her as fully as possible. She tried to argue with me! I just stopped the conversation and walked to get a drink of water to get away from her.

It amazes me at the "experts" out there! To ask me a question and then to argue about it is just ludicrous. How would she felt if I asked her a question about her profession and then argued when she tried to answer?

Leadership Program and Organizing

I belong to the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce in Oregon. One of the many programs the Chamber offers is Cascade Leadership Program. I joined the program because I thought it would be a great way to meet people and network. It has been, but it is so much more!

How the program works is...on the second Thursday of each month, the group gathers at the Lebanon Boys and Girls Club. A business or businesses in the area sponsors for the day. We are provided with muffins and fruit to start out the day. Each month has a different theme. For example, yesterday was Public Safety Day. We spend the entire day. This is a two year program. Next year, we'll be planning the program for the freshman group coming in.

Back to Public Safety Day. We started out at the Lebanon Fire Department. We were given a presentation, learned about the Fire-Med program, among many other things and was given a tour of the facility, especially the trucks and equipment. Then, the highlght of the experience was getting to put on a fire helmet and being lifted 95 feet straight up in the air in the ladder truck! By the way, those helmets are heavy!

Then we traveled to Albany to the Linn County Sheriff's Dept. One of the Captains gave us a presentation about the Sheriff's Dept, a Detective told us about their Search and Rescue program and then we were served lunch. After lunch, we got an extensive tour of the 911/dispatching office and the jail. I am 40-something years old and have never been inside a jail so what an eye opening experience!

We completed the day with a trip to the Lebanon Police Dept. We were given the grand tour and was also given a demonstration of tazers.

You are probably asking...what does this have to do with organizing?

• I am impressed with last year's group and how well they have organized each day.


• I get to spend seven or eight hours with a group of business owners each month. We get to know each other really well!


• I get to meet people that I normally wouldn't meet if not for this program. I go home and send a thank you card to each person that has taken the time of their busy day to teach us. New contacts!


• I have gotten to know a group of people that cares about each other and wants to see each other succeed in business. We are happy to refer others to each other.


• I see some organized workspaces, some not-so-organized workspaces, and some that have been very creative with the limited space and resources they have. All the scenerios inspire me and help me to be more creative for my clients.