Organizing Your Office – Top 10 Things Every Office Needs to be Organized

1. A good calendar to keep track of events – paper or electronic, whichever works for you.

2. A label maker. Label every cord, file and bin so you know what’s in it.

3. Action File. Portable file container that holds papers that correspond to appointments on your calendar. This file will hold play tickets, school forms, directions to client’s businesses or home, plane tickets, travel lists, etc.

4. A business card binder, file box or scanner.

5. Garbage can.

6. A shredder.

7. Supply cabinet/closet/drawer.

8. Off site records storage. Don’t keep archived files in with your active files. This storage could be a seldom used area of your office, a closet, or the attic, etc.

9. Small bins/boxes. They keep small things organized and together to maximize space in your drawers and on your shelves.

10. Letter opener. A letter opener may not be necessary, but it sure beats having paper cuts and they are so inexpensive.

11 Tips for Working More Effectively

1. Control interruptions. Limit visits and phone calls.
2. There are only three things you can do with a piece of paper. FAT - File it, Act on it or Toss it.
3. Keep only the project or papers you are working on out on your desk. Put away other files and papers.
4. Keep like items together and put everything back in its place.
5. Take breaks and relax every so often.
6. Doing one thing at a time will help you focus and get tasks done quicker.
7. Do not schedule 100% of your day. Leave at least 30% for interruptions.
8. Break projects into small, manageable tasks.
9. Do your most important tasks during your peak energy level time.
10. Determine your priorities before you start the day. Use the last 15 minutes of the day before to plan for tomorrow.
11. Write everything down. Appointments, ideas, phone numbers, people's names...everything.

Turn off the lights!

Gas in Lebanon, Oregon, at the time I am writing this, is $4.25 a gallon. As high as gas is, I think groceries have risen even higher. We sat down and came up with a list of things we could do to cut our expenses.

Here is what we came up with:

(1) My husband found a buddy at work that lives in our area and they are carpooling three days a week.

(2) My husband asked his boss if he could work four 11-hour days rather than five 9 hour days to save driving another day. His boss agreed to try it.

(3) I have been checking out a local farm and produce stand for fresh fruits and veggies.

(4) I am using coupons for household and cleaning supplies and looking for sales to match up with the coupons.

(5) I have always planned menus and made a grocery list, but now I am taking a calculator with me grocery shopping and setting a limit for what I spend.

(6) My parents always taught me to turn out the lights when I leave a room. My husband has a nasty habit of leaving on the lights. He has left them on ALL night before! He is working on creating a habit of turning them off.

(7) Instead of just turning off my computer at night, I am turning off the computer, the printer, both monitors, the battery backup, the mouse charger and whatever else is plugged in down there.

I would love to see your comments on what you are doing differently to cut expenses.

Old Timey Household Tips

My uncle, knowing I am an organizer, sent me these tips as a joke. Actually,
some of them are valid, but I am presenting them to you as my uncle did to me,
with humor in mind. Try them at your own risk especially the one about hiding
the dead body!

A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The
envelope can then be resealed. (hmmmmmm...)
============================================

Use empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the
roll what appliance it belongs to.
============================================

For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put dish washing liquid in it.
Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. (Wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
============================================

To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take
the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
=================================================

Crayon marks on walls? This works wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off
with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
============================================

Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on a paper towel.
=============================================

Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of Scissors and cut each pad
into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally
decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely!
In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!
=============================================

Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and
proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! (Now, where to put the body?)
=============================================

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way
you can tell which side has the streaks.

Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. The
will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
============================================

Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb (when bulb is cold) in any room to create a lovely light
scent in each room when the light is turned on.
============================================

Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
=============================================

To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously
as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!
Works like a charm!
=============================================

To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and
enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
==============================================

Spray your plastic ware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and
there won't be any stains.
=============================================

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
=============================================

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural
sweetness.
=============================================

Cure for headaches: Take a lemon, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will
go away.
=============================================

Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and
sauces. Left over wine? What's that? :)
=============================================

To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience
instant relief.
=============================================

Ants, ants, ants everywhere. Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk
out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
============================================

When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle.
Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, And then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most
splinters painlessly and easily.
=====================================

Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer........

Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets; wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.
The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.

Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and
drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for
two minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak
for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain
followed by a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

Makes you wonder about ingesting Alka Seltzer, doesn't it?