Archive for the ‘Get Organized’ Category:
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We recently posted a product review of Smead’s Stadium File. Today we’ll review their SuperTab Folders.
An alternate to a traditional file folder, the SuperTab Folders’ primary differentiating factor is the size of the tab found at the top of the folder. Providing 90 % more space in which to label, these folders allow the user to write larger for increased visibility, and/or include more text on the tab/label than they would otherwise be able.
These folders are available in Letter Size or Legal Size, recycled manila or a variety of primary and pastel colors, and in boxes of 24, 50 or 100. Oversized labels, made specifically to fit to oversized tabs, are also available. A free Microsoft Word label template for use with these labels and on the oversized tabs is also available for download at www.smead.com/SuperTab.
Pros: Larger labeling space allows the user to write larger on the tab/label for greater visibilility. This could lead to the user being able to find the file faster when looking in their drawer or in a tiered file holder. The user can also include several lines of text on a label, where they may otherwise be limited with standard folders/tabs.
Cons: If you intend to mix these in with your traditional 1/3 cut file folders, some will look different (though not much … overall height of the folder in general is about the same as standard folders, just the tab is bigger). Because of the bigger cut away right below the tab, you can see more of the document you store in the folder itself. For some, this may be a negative. For others, it won’t matter.
Where to Buy/Pricing: You’ll find these folders at a variety of office supply stores, including Office Depot or Staples. Price ranges from about $11.99 for a box of 100 manila up to $20.99 for a box of 100 colored folders.
If you try these, let us know what you think. If you know of other new products we should check out or consider reviewing, we’d love to hear from you.
Disclosure: This is sponsored content and we have been given product samples and a nominal gift card to do this post. That being said, we do not blog about anything we do not believe in and Smead did not edit our post or direct our content in any way.
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We’re always on the look-out for new products that can help our clients stay organized. Recently, we were asked to review three from Smead. We were sent samples of their Stadium File, SuperTab Folders, and Viewables Labels. We’ll be posting our review for all three products over the next few days. The first will be for the Stadium File.
The Stadium File is a desktop organizer. This organizing tool contains 12 tiered pockets that keep papers and files visible. A great tool for someone who has papers spread out on their desk and worries about “out of sight, out of mind”. This keeps active papers and files (letter size) in front of you, in an organized fashion. Retailing for around $20, the organizer comes with several options for labels – A-Z, Jan-Dec, 1-31 and household subjects.
Pros:
- Price Point – this is a low investment to make to get the piles of paper up off the surface of your desk.
- Compact – it only takes up a corner of the desk
- Good option for active papers to be set up in a tickler file based on when the action needs to happen or categorical file based on what needs to happen with the paper.
- Not limited to an office desk, this product could also be used on a kitchen counter to corral papers needed in a “Household Command Center” with rosters, schedules, frequently used forms, lists, etc.
- Can use pre-printed labels or blank labels that come with the product to customize the files for your needs.
- Can accomodate loose papers or file folders
- While some tiered file holders only support the bottom part of paper or files, this supports the entire width of the paper or file. In some tiered file holders I’ve used in the past, the folders eventually curve. That wouldn’t happen in this organizer.
Cons:
- Made of 10 % recycled and 10% post-consumer material, this is a paper based product and is not completely sturdy. The whole unit may be pretty easy to knock over if you weren’t careful. When the organizer is full, it makes it heavier, and would be less likely to tip over.
- The built in tabs bent pretty easily when I slipped in a manila file folder and then were covered by said folder.
Where to buy: This product can be found at Office Depot, Franklin Covey and on Amazon, among other places.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for an inexpensive solution to help you manage “active” papers and files on your desk top, this is good option. If you decide to give it a try, please let me know what you think.
Disclosure: This is sponsored content and we have been given product samples and a nominal gift card to do this post. That being said, we do not blog about anything we do not believe in and Smead did not edit our post or direct our content in any way.
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Please welcome our newest residential organizing teammates, Lynette Apley & Wendy Ayer. Both Lynette and Wendy have been organizing for the past several years and we are very excited to have them as part of the Simply Placed team!
Meet Lynette Apley
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After 10 years as a media project manager at Microsoft, Lynette started professionally organizing in 2004. She has experience with all types of residential organizing and particularly likes helping clients with kitchens, bedrooms, playrooms, and even vehicles. She is comfortable with clients of all ages and has intermediate skills in American Sign Language.
Lynette is especially passionate about collaborating with clients to find a custom solution for them. She enjoys creating systems and processes that work for each individual client – from organizing tools and products to space planning and room design.
Lynette is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the Seattle Chapter of NAPO.
Meet Wendy Ayer:
Growing up as a detail oriented, organized person, Wendy has found her skills best used as a Professional Organizer. Wendy loves that organizing not only makes life function so much easier but it also is like a treasure hunt. She loves helping her clients find the special things that they consider treasures and making them useful again. Wendy loves teaching you that each object has its own special place. Organizing is like an adventure and Wendy loves the satisfaction of completing a project and admiring the finished result with her clients. Don’t we all enjoy a good before and after moment?
She has experience with all types of residential organizing and particularly likes helping clients with kitchens, bedrooms, playrooms, and craft rooms. Wendy especially loves to teach kids how to clean and organize their space!
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Are you working on establishing a new habit that will positively impact your organization or productivity? Does it feel like a lot of work? One strategy is to find ways to make it fun.
Make it fun - we’ve found this video example of how people will change their behavior if its fun. We see lots of possibility to apply this concept to the work we do with clients who want to be more organized and productive.
Planning on taking 15 minutes at the end of each day to clear off your desk, file, and put things back in their places? Do it while listening to your favorite tunes.
Stuggling with focusing on a high priority for a period of time? Call a friend or co-worker and let them know of your plans. Work hard and focus for the period you’ve decided is best for you and then call the friend or co-worker again to celebrate your accomplishment (and maybe find some other fun way to reward yourself for staying on task).
Limited on time but want to organize a space? Make it a game. Set a timer and work to “beat the clock” – organizing the space you’ve selected before the timer goes off. (I know, I know, this may work better for your kids, but you get the point.)
Watch the video above and then let us know what ideas you have for making organizing or productivity improvement fun. We’d love to hear from you and promise to share the responses with full credit. 
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How many of you have a reference filing system in place at home and/or in your office that’s working well for you? A reference filing system creates a home for those papers you already took action, or don’t need to act on, but need to keep for your records. Are you able to find the papers you need quickly and when you need them? Is your system user-friendly? Does your system encourage you to purge your files on a regular basis?
There are several elements of a filing system that can make it effective. We have come to love and highly recommend the FreedomFiler, a great filing system for your home or home-based business filing needs. The FreedomFiler has many of the elements we consider key to filing system success. Consider these when setting up your system:
- Have color-coded files for different categories such as (red for permant files, orange for administrative files, blue for tax files and so forth).
- Make sure your file cabinet or drawer has enough space in it. An over-crowded drawer will rarely get used.
- Use clear plastic tabs and try to organize your files alphabetically.
- Create interior or sub folders when appropriate (ie. under the main folder “Auto Records” you may have sub folders for each car you own).
- Try filing your non-tax related statements, invoices, receipts, etc. by month instead of by vendor. This makes filing very quick and easy and it also allows you to purge your files every few years.
- Get into the habit of filing right then and there. The longer you wait…the larger the pile of paper gets which often leads to feeling overwhelmed and then the filing never gets done.
- Try to have your filing drawer close to where you open the mail or pay the bills. You are more likely to file if you don’t have to go all the way to the basement storage room to do so.
If this sounds like the perfect filing system for you, we would love for you to attend our “End the Paper Pain: File, Don’t Pile” workshop coming up this Wednesday, March 17th from 6:30pm to 9:00pm in Sammamish. During this fun hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to create a new, virtually maintenance-free filing system for your home or home-based business. You will walk away with the system in-tact ready to use.
Can’t make this workshop fit into your schedule this week? We also offer one-on-one FreedomFiler Consultations where we can come into your home and set-up the system with you and begin to transfer your piles into files. Contact us if you are interested in learning more.
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Want to make it easy to file instead of pile? Learn the stragegies and the system on Wednesday, March 17th.
Come join us for this fun, hands-on workshop where you will learn how to create a new, virtually maintenance-free filing system for your home or home-based business. You’ll walk away with the system largely in-tact, ready to use for your home or home-based business filing needs. When you leave class, you’ll be able to:
- Easily locate the papers you need by keeping out the ones you don’t need
- Finish routine filing in 5 seconds or less
- Reduce the time and energy required to file and retrieve papers
- Know when to toss paper – document retention made easy!
Presented by Certified Professional Organizer, Debbie Rosemont.
Time: 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Location: Beaver Lake Lodge 25101 SE 24th Street, Sammamish, WA 98075
Investment: $149 (includes FreedomFiler kit and light refreshments)
For more information or to register click here!
Class Limit: 12 participants (to ensure individual attention)
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For the month of February we are offering “A Shot of Time Management” Mini Package which includes:
- The Simply Placed Time Log
- Debbie’s book, Six Word Lessons To Be More Productive
- A one hour Phone Consultation (We’ll discuss your time management or productivity challenges, how to use your time log, how to review and analyze the results and how to create an action plan for change)
- Two 15 Minute Follow-Up Accountability Calls
- A monthly e-subscription to the Simply Placed News including strategies to help you increase your focus, organization and productivity.
We’ll help you find more time to focus on high prioirity tasks and more time to spend on what matters most to you.
Investment: $125 with Lacey (Residential) & $225 with Debbie (Business)
Let us know if you have questions or are interested in taking advantage of this special!
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Happy New Year!!!
It’s the first official business day of 2010. Are you one of millions of Americans who have resolved to Get Organized?
Start with making sure you have closure on the “things” involved with the Holiday Season of 2009. Put away any decorations used or new items received during the holidays and set your intentions for a fabulous year ahead.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Clear the holiday clutter.
Gather all holiday decorations and prepare to put them away. As you do, take a close look at the decorations themselves. Don’t pack up or put away things you won’t use again next year. Toss broken lights and ornaments and donate items you just don’t love anymore.
Let go of holiday cards and greetings you recieved. If you’ve kept them up to this point because you feel funny about tossing them, you have my permission to do so! Quickly take one last look at each one, appreciate the sentiment that came with them, and then recycle. (OK, if there is one or two that are particularly meaningful, heartfelt or special, put them into a memory box or file for safe keeping and to look back on in the years ahead.)
Pack things up for the next holiday season.
Clear plastic bins are great for storing holiday decorations. Be sure to group like items together and label all of your bins. Try to store all holiday decorations in one area. This will make it easier next season when you go to decorate your home or office. Since these items are pulled out and returned only once a year, its appropriate to have them tucked away. Get them out of the way and make sure they don’t block items you use more regularly.
At places like Storables and The Container Store, they have containers specifically made to hold ornaments, wreaths, wrapping paper, etc. If you have the budget to invest in new organizing products, a few of these items can be very useful in containing your holiday related supplies and decorations.
Find a home for any new items you received over the holidays.
Want to find what you need, when you need it? Establish a “home” for all of the new items that came into your life during the holidays. Find the right spot, and then commit to putting things back away where they belong when you are done using them. This is a huge time saver for the next occasion you need to find something!
Reflect on 2009 and set intentions for 2010.
If you haven’t done so already, take a little time to reflect on the year that has just passed…what accomplishments have you made, what challenges did you face and what do you want to do differently this year?
Set your intentions for 2010. What do you intend to do, accomplish and have in 2010? What will it take to make that happen? Take some time right now, to reflect and write down your goals for the upcoming year.
Want to hear a few more ideas on how to get organized in the New Year? Listen to the our interview on Let’s Talk by Jennifer Malocha, where we share a few of these ideas and more.
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We would love to partner with you in helping you achieve your goals this year! We are here to provide our expertise, support and encouragement along the way and to keep you accountable.
Plan for Success in 2010 package includes:
A 1 hour phone consultation where we will walk you through the process of reflection on the past year, setting SMART goals and creating an action plan to achieve your goals – simple and effective strategies that will make it happen.
Three 15 minute accountability calls where we check in, answer any questions you may have, trouble-shoot and provide you with some encouragement along the way.
The Simply Placed Time Log which you can use to identify opportunities to save time by eliminating, minimizing or delegating low priority activities.
A copy of Debbie’s new book, “Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive” mailed to your home or office.
Investment: $150 for residential clients working with Lacey and $250 for business clients working with Debbie.
Contact us to book your package today and set yourself up for a productive 2010. Special pricing good through January 2010. We look forward to being a partner in your success!
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We were interviewed recently by Randy Woods, writer for the Seattle Times NWJobs site and blog “Hire Ground“. Randy’s post summarizes some of the tips I shared with him on how Job Seekers could use organization and productivity strategies to reach their goal (finding a new job). Three primary strategies covered in the post are Organizing your Work Space, Establishing and Action System and Maintaining a Daily Schedule. While these strategies can give a competetive edge to those in a job search, they apply to all of us.
If you are in career transition, or know someone who is, or are striving to reach another goal this month, make sure to read Randy’s post.
What are your best strategies for reaching goals? Stay tuned for more of ours as we finish out another year and prepare to start the next.
