Dear   ,    

Did you know that October is Clean Out Your Files Month?  I have no idea why, but if it helps get you motivated, why not take the opportunity and sort through your file drawers?  Get rid of anything that's out of date, that you'll never need again, or that's duplicated elsewhere, and make some space in your files so you can find the things you DO need more easily.

When you're done, check out the article below on Pinterest, a powerful resource for clever organizing (and other) ideas. The internet can be overwhelming, but this site provides an easy way to find and organize photos relating to your interests. 

- Maryann Murphy 

 The Power of Pictures

We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, but recently I learned this even more strongly when I decided to check out Pinterest , a pinboard-style website that allows users to collect and share photos of their interests in an organized way.  There are a LOT of collections of photos of cats, shoes, favorite sayings, cars, AND organizing ideas!  The site can be used for collecting favorite photos or for planning a project or event.  Think of it as the high-tech version of cutting out photos of favorite wedding dresses or decorating ideas from magazines.

I have been checking in on Pinterest every couple of weeks since the beginning of September, and have found tons of inspiring ideas for organizing clothing, kitchen items, home office supplies, garage storage and more.  There's something about the photos that make it much faster to see whether I'm interested or not, and it's amazing how clear the tip can be just from the photo alone.  Of course, there are captions and brief descriptions of the tips as well. If you find someone who pins great tips, you can "Follow" that person so you get more of their suggestions each time you log in.

The danger of Pinterest, as with any social sharing website, is that you can spend all day there if you're not careful.  There are only so many pictures of cute animals that we should be checking out on any given day!  But set yourself a timer, log on, and search for organizing ideas or any other area of special interest to you.  You'll be amazed at how much information is out there and easy to use.  Or follow my boards at http://www.pinterest.com/maryannmurphypo.  

I've created boards related to organizing your home office, craft room, clothing, kitchen, bathroom, entryway, garage, guest room and laundry room, as well as one on re-using household items. Please share any organizing pins you find especially helpful with me as well, and I'll repin photos I think would be of interest to my readers.  This feels like one social media activity that would actually be worth our time!