Online Organizer

Are you one of those people that writes usernames and passwords on little tiny pieces of paper and then can’t find them when you need them?  Or, you may keep them in your mobile device and hope that you don’t lose the device or it dies on you forever.  Of course, if you have run all of the regular “back ups” you should be fine, right?

When I was reorganizing my filing system to Freedom Filer (which I love love love), I realized that most of my user names and passwords were written in the left side of my file folders for each account.  With Freedom Filer, I wasn’t going to be using those types of folders any longer and found myself wondering where was I going to keep track of all of that information.

Lucky for me, I have a sister who is probably more organized than I am (although we run a close race) and when I mentioned my dilemma to her, she immediately had a solution.

Not only did she have a solution, but she actually had an extra Gooseberry Patch organizer for me.   I’m pretty sure that we got off the phone and she went straight to the post office because within a couple of days my organizer arrived!

The organizer is divided by alphabet and each page gives you the ability to write three entries.

I  really like that it gives you the option to write notes because many times, you are required to answer security questions as well as usernames and passwords, and this gives you a place for those questions and answers.

My sister, Pege found ours at a local shop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, called “Cross Stitch Cupboard” www.crossstitchcupboard.com or you can visit www.gooseberrypatch.com , and they offer it for $7.95 and in three other patterns.

What do you use to keep track of your online account info??  How is it working for you?  Please email us at www.oisfororganize@gmail.com

Hope everyone is having a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Laundry Guides

Yesterday I spent some time working on my ideas for the Laundry Room Makeover Challenge and one thing that I knew I wanted to add to my laundry room was some type of “hands on” guide for stain removal.  Let’s face it, when we have a drop or spill one of those hard to remove stains, they usually need to be addressed pretty quickly.  The last thing you want to do is have to go hunting for a guide about how to remove that spill of red wine or grease or whatever it may be.

So, of course, that’s just what I did, the hunting I mean, but in a much calmer state of mind.  I came across this one from Martha Stewart that I think will work great for me. The print is appearing smaller in the picture below, but if you click on the link below the picture you'll be able to print a more legible version for your own laundry room! 

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Now I just have to decide how I want to display it in the room so that it’s easily accessible. Here are a few great ideas that I found for displaying laundry guides:

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How’s your laundry room makeover progressing?  What kind of things are you thinking about adding or removing?  Feel free to share your ideas with us!  We are in this together!!

Happy Organizing!

Food Fun!

Today I am pretty excited about sharing one of my favorite cooking magazines with you.  You may already be familiar with it and if so, I'm sure you would agree it's a must-have in your library of cooking resources!  Cook's Illustrated is a food magazine that provides everything from recipes to how to grate cheese and not cut your fingers.  The only thing they don't have is advertising...  Can you imagine looking at a magazine from cover to cover and not a single ad?  Believe it!

Now, I will say that if you are only looking for pretty, colorful pages, then this is not the magazine for you!  While the cover is in color, the majority of the inside is black and white.

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite tips that I found in a December 2011 issue....."The Problem with Knife Sets".

According to "Cooks", most knife block sets are loaded with superfluous (had to look this one up - it means “unnecessary”) pieces, but also with ones that are impractical or even useless.  

However, they do offer that,in their opinion,  "there are just three truly essential knives: a Chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife.  Beyond that, a boning knife, a slicing knife (for carving meat), and a good pair of kitchen shears can make certain tasks easier."  I knew then what I needed to make sure got on my Christmas list!

My wonderful hubby, with the help of a very good sales lady at William Sonoma, surprised me with two of the three and a great sharpening tool, which is a must have to keep your knives sharp!

These are a bit pricey, but you can definitely find an inexpensive brand that offers all three of these knives at a great price.  For example, Bed Bath & Beyond sells a Cook’s recommended brand, Victorinox for $76.99 for all three, which with your never ending BB&B coupons, you could get for under $65.  Not bad for three essential knives!

Just to give you a little more info on the magazine, it is available in most book stores or online. And, of course, you can get a subscription at a discounted price.

If you decide to go hunting for the latest edition, here's a picture of the current cover.

Do you have a favorite cooking magazine? Would love for you to share with us!

Make it a Great Day!!

Car Organization Kit

For many of us, our car is our home away from home.  Whether we are running kids around from school to activities to doctors’ offices, or we are just driving to and from work, we spend A LOT of time in our cars.

Just as we enjoy our homes being organized, the same goes for our car.

Here’s a list of items that I thought would be helpful in getting and keeping the car organized as well as good to have on those lengthy road trips.  You can certainly add or omit items that are more catered to your needs.   

1. Disinfectant Wipes (I recently read that gas pump handles carries some of the worst germs you can imagine.)  Kind of makes you want to run out and buy wipes right now, huh?

2.   Band aids

3.   Nail clipper & nail files

4.   Tweezers

5.   Kleenex

6.   Toothbrush & toothpaste

7.   Ziploc bags (just in case someone gets carsick)

8.   Small flashlight or emergency beamer

9.   Travel size packages of “tummy ache” and “headache” medicines

10. Tide Pen/Shout Wipes

11. Small sewing kit

12. Toothpicks

Here is what my kit looks like:

Since I don’t have any little ones for now, I don’t have a need for organizing books, games, toys, snacks, etc. but here are a few kits I found online and wanted to share.

You can even use a small shoe organizer like this one from the dollar store:

It’s also a great idea to have a small trash can in your car.   This will keep your car tidy of all those little things that tend to make our car look so dirty on the inside.  I  recently purchased a new portable vacuum that makes keeping the floor boards clean quick and easy.

So, what’s your car looking like today?  Take some before and after pictures and email us at oisfororganize@gmail.com.

Happy Organizing!!

Checklists

If you search the Internet, you will find all kinds of checklists for cleaning and organizing and if you are anything like me, you LOVE LOVE LOVE checklists. What is it about checking things off your list that gives you such a feeling of accomplishment?

Whatever the answer, I know it definitely motivates me. I've been told if you tackle the item on your list that you want to do the least first, your day will be more productive. I must admit that I don't frequently follow that rule, but when I do, it does seem to make the rest of the day go smoother! You might try it and see how it works for you.

Nonetheless, I thought I would share some lists with you that you might find helpful in planning your day, week, month and/or year!

I came across these lists from Martha Stewart a few years ago and was thrilled to find them still available online.

If you click here it will bring you to the website where you can print them yourself for your own personal use.

Some of you may have your own checklists that you currently use that work great for you. If so, we would love for you to share. Feel free to email us at oisfororganize@gmail.com.

Happy Organizing!