Archive for office
Small Space Offices
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve written about creating an office in a small space in the past, but there are so many fabulous ideas out there and so I want to share more. Maybe you need to tuck a small workspace in for the kids to do their homework, or maybe you need a space to pay your bills. You may live in a small apartment or possibly maxed out on space and need a calm area to get your work done – there’s a solution out there and it is a matter of finding something to fit your home and style.
Take a look at some of these wonderful ideas below and let me know what you think.
The first is an absolutely brilliant idea via Better Homes and Gardens. A bookshelf turned dual office. One side for you and the other for the kids. Or each child has their own desk with no fighting for space. Brilliant is an understatement here and this project could be done very inexpensively.
Next up – the drop down desk or shelf. I have one in my kitchen for extra prep space and I love it. Ikea has a version that can be easily stained or painted. This is an easy way to create extra work space in any room and works well in smaller spaces because they fold down in a snap.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Kristin on Pinterest
Here is another version of a wall mounted desk that does not take up a ton of space. Check out the graters as pencil and paint brush holders. LOVE!!!!!!!!
Think Outside the Box
Posted by: | CommentsI love seeing simple and creative solutions to organizing headaches and then finding ways to utilize them in my own home or with my clients. I’ve found a few “out of the box” ideas that have endless uses within the home and thought they would be fun to share with all of you. I would LOVE to hear your ideas of how they could be used.
The first is an over the door shoe pouch. This person has applied cute tags to label each pouch and fastened them with laundry clips so that they can be easily moved around. I think this would work well in a nursery. Diapers, wipes, ointment, clothing – all within quick reach. Or what about a little girls room? Barbie or American Girl clothing, craft supplies or undies, socks etc…
Source: thoughtfuldesigns.blogspot.com via Beth on Pinterest
I love the way this person has repurposed an old suitcase into a craft station. Beautiful and inspiring. It could also be used to hold wrapping paper supplies, photographs, or spare office supplies. It could even be a little portable bill paying station. Keep a stapler, letter opener, stamps, envelopes and whatever else you might need and you can pay your bills from anywhere in the house.
Wonderful and beautiful little cups in a drawer. Could also be utilized for jewelry, hair supplies or office supplies. Imagine paperclips and rubber bands in these sweet little holders.
Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com via Tara on Pinterest
The tray! Cute and versatile. Maybe a coffee station? Cups, mugs and coffee supplies. Place one by the door for keys, wallets, phones and other “out the door” items. Set one on the bathroom counter for beauty supplies. What about a magazine or inspiration center? Put magazines you need to read on the tray and then you can clip or recycle what you’d like to use. Coupon center? Keep your scissors, coupons and holder together on the tray and then you can move it around to wherever you might need it.
Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Hannah on Pinterest
Perfectly Savvy Finds
Posted by: | CommentsI have a couple of fun finds to welcome spring to your office. I need a little burst of spring to keep up the happy thoughts while I’m at my desk. Maybe these Savvy Finds will chase the snow and cold away.
I’m loving the Slim Shredder and it is a great price point. I have a little spot for it in my office so I’m going to go take a look at it at Bed Bath and Beyond. Even better – I noticed that Better Homes and Gardens is running a sweepstakes later this month so you can try and win one for your own office.
How absolutely wonderful are the supplies from See Jan Work at Office Depot? Talk about adding a splash of spring to an office – fabulous.
Do It Yourself – Artwork
Posted by: | CommentsThe winter blues are definitely getting to me. I’m trying to keep a stiff upper lip and rolling up my sleeves to do a little DIY around the house is my best defense. I don’t have a lot of spare cash to throw at artwork, so I’ve decided to make my own. I made some pretty flower pictures from a calendar for the girls. I also purchased some lovely and inexpensive photos from 74 Lime Lane for my office and the kitchen. I’m displaying some on a inspiration board and the others I’ve placed in inexpensive frames. It is a little touch around the house to inspire and get us through the winter blues.
Clipboard fun
Posted by: | CommentsHi all,
I am a HUGE fan of clipboards. They are so versatile and a great way to keep information organized and easy to access. I utilize them in my office to organize receipts and keep papers that I need to complete for my kids.
I wanted an inexpensive way to make my plain Office Depot clipboards fun and pretty. I went to the local Paper Source, (beautiful stationary supplies plus unique gift ideas) and purchased some high end, pretty wrapping paper. I then cut pieces to fit the clipboards and taped along the back. The result is an inexpensive and pretty highlight on my wall. It would make a cute gift as well.
Let me know what you think.
Organizing Resolutions
Posted by: | CommentsWe all make a New Year’s Resolution that begins with the best of intentions and then falls flat within a month or two. I know from personal experience, my resolutions can be too much to maintain. Life happens and plans get interrupted. I also believe it is easier to keep moving forward if you can see your progress. Try making your resolution more manageable this year and see if it might propel you forward.
If your goal is to clean out your office then knock that down to a manageable task like organizing one bookshelf. If your kitchen is the focus you should begin with one drawer at a time.
The problem with a grand resolution is that when we don’t complete it, or it falls short of our expectations it brings discouragement and ultimately no progress.
My resolution this year is to exercise consistently. Work has been so busy that lately I’ve been skipping exercise to finish work. I need to be realistic about my time and I know a goal of 4 times per week will not happen. Instead, I’m going to pledge one day to begin and slowly increase. I know that if I can meet my goal then it will be easier to move forward. It is important to keep your goal positive instead of feeling like you are failing to live up to your pledge. Start slow and propel forward.
What is your resolution? Happy New Year!
Kristin
Perfectly Savvy Finds
Posted by: | CommentsHi Everyone,
This week I’m giving you some ideas for gifts that will help to organize that special someone in your life without adding to the clutter.
A small desktop scanner will work nicely for someone that has low volume scanning and would like the convenience of having it on their desktop. This would be ideal for someone that travels and needs to upload business receipts, or for the cook that would like to get their recipes digitized.
A label maker is a thoughtful gift at a nice price point. It can be used in the kitchen, office, playroom – anywhere.
Consider a trial or membership to ScanDigital, Office Drop or Shoe Boxed.
Scan Digital will scan old photos so that you can preserve and share. This would make a creative gift for a grandparent or busy mom. The recipient can ship their photos off in a box and the Scan Digital team will upload all of them online as well as to a CD. I’ve used the service for myself and for clients. It is a great gift and their service is exceptional. Full disclosure that I am an affiliate. Another route would be to purchase a gift card to a local photo shop that performs the scanning service if you think they might have an issue with shipping off their prized photos.
ShoeBoxed is a gift for the business traveler. Ship off all of your receipts and they’ll scan and upload. My favorite feature is that you can take a picture of a receipt on your mobile phone and email it to them for processing. I set one of my clients up with the service and it is pretty slick. You need to travel frequently to make it worthwhile.
Last but not least, Office Drop. Of course you can scan in your own paperwork, but this service is so much more. Simply put all of your papers every month into an envelope, ship it to the Office Drop folks and they will scan and upload everything to your account. If you need a paper you just log into your account and perform a “Google” type search for it. Very user friendly. Yes, I’m an affiliate but I’ve also used the service myself for three years and I love it. I don’t have a filing cabinet and papers at my home are virtually non-existent. In my opinion, the time it saves is worth the cost. This works great for a small business, busy mom or someone that has trouble keeping up with files.
A Reflective Day
Posted by: | CommentsToday I’m doing a post unrelated to organizing. September 11th is a major day of reflection for me. I was only a few blocks from the Towers when they fell. They smacked against our building and turned a beautiful, stunning fall day into a nightmare. The streets surrounding our office looked like a war zone. For many days after, I remained in shock and unable to leave my apartment.
About a week or two after the attacks, we were allowed back to our office building. On the first day back, the subway was packed and moving around was slow. As we emerged from underground and began climbing the stairs out of the subway, someone from behind me yelled, “move it, get going, I’m in a hurry”. A man in a suit in front of me turned around and simply stated, “you are alive, be grateful that you are in this mob”. Enough said.
Thanks to all that sacrificed so much on that day and on the days ahead for me, for my children and for our freedom. You will not be forgotten and I’m forever grateful.
Perfectly Savvy Finds
Posted by: | CommentsHi Everyone,
I have a fun little post for your Savvy Finds this week. I’m featuring organizing items that are on sale or on clearance. Let’s call it Savvy Bargains! I hope you find something worth clicking. Keep in mind that these items were all in stock and on sale when I wrote the post, but I can’t guarantee that they will remain that way.
The first item I couldn’t grab on Polyvore, but click through here to see a Foldable Cooking Cart from JC Penny.com. This cart would be great for entertaining or when you need the extra cooking space. It folds up for easy storage.
The Weathered Wood Vessel from West Elm would be a snappy little bowl for collecting keys or wallets at the door.
I love the file folder holder from Organize-it.com. Consider using it for a mail center or home office.
Next up is the Milli Shoulder Bag from the Container Store. A cute and functional travel bag that will keep you organized on your next adventure.
The Botanical Lemon Canisters from Williams-Sonoma are so adorable. A cute addition to a countertop or behind glass doors. They’d make a cute housewarming gift as well.
Last but not least Snapware Containers at Sears. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that these little containers are only for leftovers. These versatile little gems are great for organizing arts and crafts, containing office supplies or even in the garage for all the little nuts, bolts and nails.
Kitchen Binder
Posted by: | CommentsI love three-ring binders. They are a fantastic tool for organizing papers and maintaining easy access. I love the portability and flexibility of a binder and they have endless possibilities for helping to organize a home or office.
Let’s take a look at how you might be able to use a binder in the kitchen. I use my kitchen binder to collect and contain all of my take-out menus, most used and loved recipes and kitchen user/owner manuals.
First up – the take-out menus or as I like to call them, Mama’s sanity savers. A little folder in the binder keeps them all contained in one place. No digging in valuable drawer space or searching throughout the house.
Next, my favorite recipes. I love to find recipes off of the Food Network. A quick print and then they go into a protective sleeve. I can then take them out and post them on the fridge while I cook and pop them back in the binder when I’m done. The binder also allows me to move the recipes around so I can keep my favorites up front, or categorize them.
Last, what should you do with all of those little owners manuals that you “might” need? Answer, pop them in a sleeve and keep them in your binder.
I’ll see you on Friday with some Perfectly Savvy Finds. Any suggestions?
