Many of your college files will be electronic but what do you do with all the paper you receive? A simple set of 10 hanging files categorizes all of your daily papers and the mail you receive.
 
These 10 files are used for sorting the papers you are currently working on such as current bills you need to pay, phone calls you need to make, papers waiting to be filed away in the filing cabinet, etc. The daily files act as a holding spot for papers that would typically be placed on the desk, in a drawer, or in your car/mobile office.


Supplies:

For this project you'll need 10 hanging file folders, a file box (the colorful ones above are available at www.target.com) or file crate, and some manila file folders. You can customize your file system by using colored hanging file folders, interior file folders, and tabs.
 
Step 1:

Label the 10 hanging file tabs using a label maker or hand writing them:
To Attend, To Do, To File, To Pay, To Read, Classes, Coupons, Projects, Receipts, Waiting for
 
Step 2:

Label a manila file folder for each class you're taking and place them inside the Classes hanging file. You may also want to create separate manila file folders for each of your projects.
 
Step 3:

Put your papers in the files. 

 

The beauty of this simple system is that your papers are standing up, sorted & categorized, and you know where to find what you're looking for - quickly.
 
Examples of items that would fit in each category:  

To Attend:  invitations to events or parties, notices for meetings, tickets
(Write the date and time on your calendar before filing)

To Do: items to purchase, calls to make, letters to mail, emails to answer, papers to write

To File: a holding place for papers until you get the chance to file them

To Pay: current bills, dues, fundraiser or charity donations, IOUs

To Read: articles, newsletters, offers that come in the mail

Classes: a manila file for each class can hold schedules, syllabus, course objectives, research paper ideas, etc.

Coupons: oil change, car washes, Bed, Bath & Beyond, restaurant deals, etc.
 
Projects: plans for Spring Break, decorating ideas, fitness goals

Receipts: use for matching against your bank statement at the end of the month, items you may return, income tax deductions, tuition and fees statements

Waiting for: items you've ordered from the Internet and are waiting to receive, phone calls you're waiting to hear a response from, items you loaned to others and are awaiting their return

Keep your new file box handy on your desk so you can use it daily and prevent paper pile-ups. This system also works for sorting the papers and mail in a busy household. Just substitute the Classes tab for a Family tab and make a manila file folder for each member of the family.

The first day of school marks the start of a steady stream of school papers entering the home. Get ready for the invasion of class work, notes, tests, projects, artwork, schedules, flyers, and newsletters to begin coming in by the backpack full!
 
From Pre-K to high school graduation, kids use an extraordinary amount of paper. So, what's the best way to keep them, store them, and dispose of the non-keepers?
 
Before the school year starts, decide on a plan of action to handle this flood of paper - it will be arriving for the next 180 days. I like using a banker's box to collect and store them in. You can weed out the non-keepers weekly, at the 9 week or semester mark, or once at the end of the year. The choice is yours. You can prevent school papers from piling up on the kitchen counter this year by having a place to keep them!
 
Some ideas to get you started:
 

• Go through the school papers weekly and only keep the one's that bring a tear to your eye, like the story about What I Did on My Summer Vacation or the A on the Algebra test. You can reuse the backside of old homework for math problems, doodling, or the grocery list.
• Save them all and go through the paper box every 9 weeks or after mid-terms. Then, spend an hour or two on a rainy Saturday afternoon going through the box and choosing your favorite papers to archive.
• Collect every paper your child completed for the school year and marvel at the amount of work they did! Going through the school papers with your child during the summer is a nostalgic way to do a summer refresher and get ready for the next school year.

 
Setting up a school memorabilia box for each child is a great way to limit the amount of schoolwork you keep for each year. Label the banker's box with your child's name, grade, and school year. Some items you may want to keep are artwork, tests, research papers and writing samples from each grade level. As your child gets older, you may find you keep less and less and one box will last for several years.

Have you tried jott.com yet? I use it and love it - and it doesn't cost a cent!

 

Jott is a service where you can leave yourself (or anyone else you set up as a contact) a voice mail message and it transcribes the message and sends it in an email. You can also send an email reminder, make lists, and post to your blog. 

 

And just in case Jott can't understand your southern accent, you can always click on the link in the email and listen to the original message.

 

Simple. Easy. Useful.

I homeschool two girls ages 8 and 10 and would like to have ideas to organize our home. I don't have a "school room" but I use our dining room and store things around the house. How could I organize our home in a way that our whole house doesn't feel like a school?

                                                                                        --Annie
A:

Your peaceful home doesn't have to turn into a primary colored classroom when you're homeschooling. Organizing your supplies is the key to keeping a balance between home and classroom.

 

Remember to label everything! Labels take the guesswork out of "do we have any ____ ?" 

 

I like the Dymo Personal Label Maker LetraTag Plus LT-100T. It's available at office supply stores and super stores for less than $30. "The DYMO LetraTag Plus LT-100T is compact, portable and easy-to-use with navigation buttons that allow for quick access to advanced features like multiple font styles, text sizing, date stamping and more." It even prints in English, Spanish, and French.

Do you have a question about how to organize a particular area of your home? Send me an email and I'll answer - promise!