Organizing 101/Feb- Home Office/Scrap Room

[jennyL]

Ok I've been slowly working on the room. I'll have to print off the list and mark what all has been done.

Todays task since I'll actually be going home after work.
Work
Dinner
Finally finish CJs to mail tomorrow (All that is left is the journalling)
continue to work on scraproom/office
watch some shows off Tivo (I have to start cleaning it out so it'll be ready for my weekends away - I can't have a full tivo and then go on vacation)
start the laundry

 

[New England Eeyore]

Well the room still looks pretty bad but it's a thousand times better than how it looked last night. I think I can put it back together this morning.

I realized I am seriously not allowed to buy any more paper. I thought I had a reasonable amount because it fit in my allotted containers but I kept finding more and more in various places and now those containers are filled to bursting, even with pulling even more sheets out for the pizza box. Time to start using it!

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

NEE, wish you lived closer. I'd come shop at your house. I love paper. I started pulling some of mine (even though I am second to last to getting it) and then thought, well, I might need that one, and that one, and that one. And then I had to just go buy the Old World Stack and two mat stacks when HL had them on sale. Yup, I love paper.

 

[dimoe]

I am joining in . My name is Diane and I live in Canada. I did the last challenge for January but didnt post. I only need to re-organize papers that are all over my coffee table agai!!!!!!!!!! The rest of the livingroom is awesome still clean . I thought I would introduce myself. I have done a lot of the things that are listed and they have made my life so much better. I have a calendar right by the computer to mark down all the stuff. I have all my scrapbooking stuff in two containers. I thought I only needed one how silly when I did this I found it everywhere so now it is all together. I did the deleting files , defraging and organzing files and back up stuff just last week.
It feels so good to get stuff organized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will post more when I complete it.
thanks for helping us get organized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diane

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Welcome to the club Diane!

I have made very slow progress on my "office" the office is really the dining room, so technically I get 2 months right?! LOL

 

[New England Eeyore]

I have begun (sloooowly) working on the paperwork monsters. Today I finally had the courage to throw away two gallon size baggies full of receipts going back to 2002! Not important receipts, mind you - really ridiculous receipts like toothpaste from Walmart. I have Quicken on my computer and once upon a time I actually used it to track where the money went. Then things got away from me and I stopped using it, but for awhile I saved every ridiculous receipt so I could "someday" go back and enter everything into the computer. Someday never came so I have finally come to the realization that I will never be that organized and it is okay! Now, I put everything I can on my credit card and at the end of the year they do the work for me and give me a nice little year end summary by category!

Now this isn't in the office, but I also cleaned out my refrigerator today - there was some pretty scary old stuff hiding in there!

 

[ksjayhawks]

Obviously being sick has put me behind on this month's challenge. However, the ones in bold are the ones I already do, so have somewhat of a start.

Declutter:
1. Go through drawers to separate junk from usable items such as pens, tape, and stamps
2. Divide paper stacks into piles; to pay, to do, to read, to visit, to file. Group other materials such as user manuals, warranties, receipts
3. Cull old papers from existing file systems and countertops. Use a shredder for sensitive, outdated documents such as bank, credit-card or investment statements.
4. Clean out old files on your computer, and scan your computer disks for errors. (Use the help icon on your computer's operating system for more detailed instructions.)

Clean:
1. Wash down surface areas and clean insides of drawers
2. Use cotton swabs lightly dampened with alcohol to clean keys on keyboard
3. Vacuum and clean office chair. Tighten screws and oil mechanism if necessary
4. Vacuum and clean floor, windows and window treatments as necessary

Maintain:
1. Create and label folders, envelopes, binders, or accordion files for your papers--I do need to update and revise these, though
2. Open mail near the wastebasket; throw away what you don't need. Then immediately file the rest. Most doesn't even make it in the house--I go through mail in the garage right by the recycle bin and only bring in what is important or what needs to be shredded, which is done immediately.
3. Keep a central a paper and/or online calendar to mark important dates and appointments
4. Keep a basket near the door to hold things that belong in other rooms
5. Make a master list of all your financial accounts, insurance policies and other important financial information. Keep it in a fireproof lock - box with other important documents--dh and I talked about using some xmas money to buy one, so need to just do it!

My goal is to get this done by next Sunday, 18th. Then I need to do some more organizing of scrapbook stuff!

 

[dimoe]

I volunteered at a womens show today and got lots of new paper. I only picked up what I thought I would want to read or could use. Later tonight after I put my daughter to bed I am going through those papers and they will either be recycled if I dont want them or they will go in a folder that I already have called things to read.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I promise to get this done by the weekend.. every time I get it almost complete something goes arye here at the house... SN** storm..., sn** day for the kids... I need to catch up on some data entry for a friend and than I will complete the home office/scrap room task.. especially the scrap room since I'm done w/ swap elements!! Which reminds.. me.. I think I have one coming up at the end of the month I'm hosting... I better get to thinking about that one too!!!

 

[New England Eeyore]

So it's the middle of the month and I am not even halfway done. You have given us the shortest month of the year to do one of the most difficult rooms in the house! For me anyway - the paperwork clutter is the worst clutter in my life, by far. We'll see how it goes. The room actually looks very nice right now but I know where all the monsters are hiding beneath the surface.

 

[hopemax]

So far this month I've cleaned the kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom and one of the bathrooms...the room with this month's challenge? Not so much. We had company last week, so that's why everything else got done.

The good news about the challenge is that I did the shredding last month while you were all doing the family room, and a bunch of the other stuff is things we do regularly anyway. A tornado has gone through my scrap stuff again, so that is a problem. I did manage to completely clean the computer table that had accumulated so much crap that I wasn't sure where half of it came from.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Declutter:
1. Go through drawers to separate junk from usable items such as pens, tape, and stamps DONE! Wow! I found a lot of markers that have been missing!!
2. Divide paper stacks into piles; to pay, to do, to read, to visit, to file. Group other materials such as user manuals, warranties, receipts done, I have this done on a regular basis!
3. Cull old papers from existing file systems and countertops. Use a shredder for sensitive, outdated documents such as bank, credit-card or investment statements. shredded the items I could before the kids went back to school!
4. Clean out old files on your computer, and scan your computer disks for errors. (Use the help icon on your computer's operating system for more detailed instructions.) DONE, DH does this once a month..

Clean:
1. Wash down surface areas and clean insides of drawers done, where does all that dust come from??
2. Use cotton swabs lightly dampened with alcohol to clean keys on keyboard DH took care of this.. he also uses DUst off, that spray air stuff
3. Vacuum and clean office chair. Tighten screws and oil mechanism if necessary done
4. Vacuum and clean floor, windows and window treatments as necessary done

Maintain:
1. Create and label folders, envelopes, binders, or accordion files for your papers done
2. Open mail near the wastebasket; throw away what you don't need. Then immediately file the rest. DO & DONE
3. Keep a central a paper and/or online calendar to mark important dates and appointments Done, I actually have 3 calendars, one at the desk, one in my purse, and one dry erase on the wall..
4. Keep a basket near the door to hold things that belong in other rooms done, boy those little baskets come in handy and DH thought we'd never use them!
5. Make a master list of all your financial accounts, insurance policies and other important financial information. Keep it in a fireproof lock - box with other important documents done, been done for a while!

Wow! This job is finished.. once I had some time to do it, it went by pretty smoothly!!!

Okay, what's next so I can gear up and be ready! I won't start til March..but just so if it's something I dread I can psych myself up!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I am pretty much done, I guess. I have 1 box of scrap stuff left but I can't squeeze anymore into my space. And for the office I just need to sort my papers and file them. I have to pul all the 2006 stuff and store it in the loft and put the 2007 stuff in the file drawers in the basement.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Found this on another group and thought you all would find it funny...

HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE


1. Open a new file in your PC.
2. Name it "Housework."
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN.
5. Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want
To delete Housework permanently?"
6. Calmly answer, "Yes," and press mouse button firmly.....
7. Feel better?

Works for me!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Found this on another group and thought you all would find it funny...

HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE


1. Open a new file in your PC.
2. Name it "Housework."
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN.
5. Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want
To delete Housework permanently?"
6. Calmly answer, "Yes," and press mouse button firmly.....
7. Feel better?

Works for me!

sounds like a plan!! LOL

 

[ksjayhawks]

I didn't get done by the 18th--still so tired all the time, but am almost done! Really just need to clean and plan on that for Saturday! Then it is on to scrapbook stuff! (Bold are done).

Declutter:
1. Go through drawers to separate junk from usable items such as pens, tape, and stamps
2. Divide paper stacks into piles; to pay, to do, to read, to visit, to file. Group other materials such as user manuals, warranties, receipts
3. Cull old papers from existing file systems and countertops. Use a shredder for sensitive, outdated documents such as bank, credit-card or investment statements.
4. Clean out old files on your computer, and scan your computer disks for errors. (Use the help icon on your computer's operating system for more detailed instructions.)

Clean:
1. Wash down surface areas and clean insides of drawers
2. Use cotton swabs lightly dampened with alcohol to clean keys on keyboard
3. Vacuum and clean office chair. Tighten screws and oil mechanism if necessary
4. Vacuum and clean floor, windows and window treatments as necessary

Maintain:
1. Create and label folders, envelopes, binders, or accordion files for your papers--I do need to update and revise these, though
2. Open mail near the wastebasket; throw away what you don't need. Then immediately file the rest. Most doesn't even make it in the house--I go through mail in the garage right by the recycle bin and only bring in what is important or what needs to be shredded, which is done immediately.
3. Keep a central a paper and/or online calendar to mark important dates and appointments
4. Keep a basket near the door to hold things that belong in other rooms
5. Make a master list of all your financial accounts, insurance policies and other important financial information. Keep it in a fireproof lock - box with other important documents--dh and I talked about using some xmas money to buy one, so need to just do it!

My goal is to get this done by next Sunday, 18th. Then I need to do some more organizing of scrapbook stuff!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Ok, I haven't been in this month, but DH & I busted it this weekend, cleaning the whole house. Last week, I cleaned out both of my closets--threw away/gave away 164 clothing items plus purses, shoes, etc. Today, we did the infernal dusting/mopping/regular house stuff. Then, tonight, I attacked my scrap room. I forgot to take before pics, but it looks much better now!! I haven't cleaned out every drawer in the house--still lack the ones in the guest room, but I'm closer than I was before!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Ok, I haven't been in this month, but DH & I busted it this weekend, cleaning the whole house. Last week, I cleaned out both of my closets--threw away/gave away 164 clothing items plus purses, shoes, etc. Today, we did the infernal dusting/mopping/regular house stuff. Then, tonight, I attacked my scrap room. I forgot to take before pics, but it looks much better now!! I haven't cleaned out every drawer in the house--still lack the ones in the guest room, but I'm closer than I was before!

Good for you guys!!! I'm going commando cleaning this week. the last thing I want to do is come back to a messy house after vacation!

 

[ksjayhawks]

I'm done with the office. Started to tackle the scrap stuff!

 

[hopemax]

Declutter:
1. Go through drawers to separate junk from usable items such as pens, tape, and stamps Done. I found my driver's license from before I was 21. Is that good (something for the book) or bad (what was it doing in the pencil cup by the computer for the last 10 years?)
2. Divide paper stacks into piles; to pay, to do, to read, to visit, to file. Group other materials such as user manuals, warranties, receipts I don't have a lot of paperstacks but what I do have is filed and organized
3. Cull old papers from existing file systems and countertops. Use a shredder for sensitive, outdated documents such as bank, credit-card or investment statements. I did this in January while you were all family rooming, so not much to shred this month, but what is is done.
4. Clean out old files on your computer, and scan your computer disks for errors. (Use the help icon on your computer's operating system for more detailed instructions.) We finally deleted the "old data" from transferring files from the old computer to the new one we got 3 years ago Got the inbox cleaned up, fonts folder organized, finally.

Clean:
1. Wash down surface areas and clean insides of drawers Done
2. Use cotton swabs lightly dampened with alcohol to clean keys on keyboard On Monday, I actually took the keyboard apart and washed the top part because the space below the keys was really disgusting
3. Vacuum and clean office chair. Tighten screws and oil mechanism if necessary We have a wood chair so nothing to tighten or oil, but it is wiped down
4. Vacuum and clean floor, windows and window treatments as necessary Done

Maintain:
1. Create and label folders, envelopes, binders, or accordion files for your papers Already had this set up
2. Open mail near the wastebasket; throw away what you don't need. Then immediately file the rest. Already do this
3. Keep a central a paper and/or online calendar to mark important dates and appointments Already do this too
4. Keep a basket near the door to hold things that belong in other rooms Done
5. Make a master list of all your financial accounts, insurance policies and other important financial information. Keep it in a fireproof lock - box with other important documents Already had this one done too