Get Organized Now! Newsletter by Maria Gracia http://www.getorganizednow.com Issue: October 17-23, 2009 Number of Subscribers: 181,999 ============================================ Hello {!firstname_fix} ============================================ ORGANIZE THOSE MOUNTAINS OF PAPER ONCE AND FOR ALL So many people have spoken of the so-called paperless society. There's no doubt that the world hasn't caught on to this concept yet. There's more paper than ever... bank statements, insurance paperwork, schedules, school-related reports, medical records, warranties-- and of course all the fun paper too, like memorabilia, articles, hobby-related stuff and more. This is not to mention all the email messages and computer documents that get printed and copied each day--even more paper! These papers start small, quickly turn into piles, and then grow into mountains. Sometimes, these mountains of paper get so high, that the thought of tackling them is just too overwhelming-- especially when you don't have a good filing system in place or much time to put one together. If you're sick and tired of the piles of paper taking over your home and your life and you just don't know where to start, I have a solution for you. The good news is, this solution won't take hardly any time at all, and the result will be stunning--a filing system that will allow you to dismantle those mountains and find whatever you're looking for in seconds. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/filing.html P.S. I guarantee you'll be able to get all your paper organized, in an efficient, easy-as-pie to set up filing system that will be the envy of all your friends. Here's what a few of our customers had to say ... Your My Oh-So-Organized Filing System was just the ticket for me to finally get my files lean and mean! I started one Saturday afternoon with four file drawers and two boxes. A few hours, three bags of shredded material and one Pride and Prejudice miniseries on DVD later, I was down to just one two-drawer file cart with a handful of stackable trays, one grab-and-go file holder for my desk and an organized box of manuals and warranties for my husband's workbench. All I had to do was open the filing system, put labels on folders, and get to work. Besides having everything all planned and printed, the most helpful aspect of the system was the handy guide. I learned there were plenty of papers that needed to be shredded instead of filed and I gleaned some really useful tips for keeping information at my fingertips. I never realized how much information I kept scattered around the house. Now it's all in one place--easy to find and easy to use. The day after I finished setting up the system my husband needed a manual for one of our appliances. I was able to locate it within seconds. Boy, was he impressed! Thanks again for such a great product. --Cate Brizzell, Author of 'Real People Don't Diet' I wanted to thank you for putting together My Oh-So- Organized Filing System. It is such a simple idea, but worth every penny. I put your system to work immediately, and you should see my filing drawer--it's beautiful! I could not have achieved the level of success without your completely thought out system. It's wonderful. Everything is filed away and neat and organized. I can find anything. I showed my husband and he was so impressed, he was telling the neighbors! Excellent product--I highly recommend it! --Jennifer Thoden, Drapery Sewing Supplies I received the filing system today and have started to label and organize my files. I hesitated to get it, because, after all, why should I pay for file folder labels when I could just write out my own? After receiving the booklet and labels, I'm so grateful that so much of the organizing work has been done for me! This system seems very well thought-out and is a breeze to implement. Thank you so much for developing this system-- it is well worth the money and then some! --Lorri Nicolini ============================================ 10 Projects, 10 Rewards Do you ever have trouble motivating yourself to complete projects? All of us need a reward of some kind to help keep us motivated. Here are ten projects to complete, along with ten rewards for completing each one. 1. Project: Clean out medicine cabinet/vanity Reward: Manicure Toss out expired medications, makeup and ointments. Use containers to hold odds and ends like ponytail holders, hair clips and so on. Once you have completed this, reward yourself with an at home manicure, or schedule an appointment at the salon and be pampered! 2. Project: Clean out the inside of your car Reward: Ice Cream Cone or Sundae Take the time to clean out papers, trash, and so forth from the inside of your car. Wash the windows on the inside and wipe down the seats if they are leather or vinyl. After your car is nice and clean and fresh, take yourself out for an ice cream cone or a hot fudge sundae! (Don't eat it in the car though!) 3. Project: Clean up your craft supplies Reward: One hour of uninterrupted crafting time Have you been lax about putting away your crafting items? Take time to straighten up what you've been using as well as putting it away so that your crafting area is cleaned up and organized AND inviting. Reward yourself with an hour of uninterrupted crafting time, whether it’s card making, scrapbooking or sewing. 4. Project: Clean out your recipe file and recipe clippings Reward: Lunch or Dinner out Take time to go through your recipe file and all of those recipes you've been clipping. Toss any recipe cards that you haven't used in a year or more (other than holiday recipes) and also be realistic about which recipes you've clipped that you will actually use. Toss any you won't, and put the rest into a binder inside sheet protectors. When this is complete, reward yourself with a dinner out with your family, or a lunch out with a friend. 5. Project: Sort and cull out clothing Reward: One new article of clothing Go through your closet and remove those items you haven't worn in a year. Donate those in good shape to a charity. Even those that are in a little bit rougher shape can be put to use--so donate those as well. Just put them in a separate sack. Once you have removed clothing you won't/don't wear, reward yourself with one new article of clothing. Another unplanned reward is the joy of a closet that isn't crammed full. You'll be able to see and use what you have in there. ----- FINALLY, AN EASY, NO NONSENSE WAY TO GET RID OF CLUTTER AND TO FIND MORE TIME FOR THE THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO-- NO MATTER HOW BAD OFF YOU THINK YOU ARE Are you absolutely sick of all the clutter that seems to seep into every single room in your home? What about your overflowing email inbox? Do you wish the mountains of paper would magically vanish into thin air? Do you always feel like you can never catch up with your endless to do list? Is your family sabotaging your organizing efforts? In short, do you wish you can live a more organized, happy, less chaotic life? Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffhome.html ----- 6. Project: Declutter the junk drawer Reward: One hour of uninterrupted reading time. Everyone has at least one junk drawer. Take some time and clean it out. Empty everything out of it, use dividers or locking trays to sort things back into. Be realistic about how many twist ties you can actually use. Store like things together that you will use in the room the junk drawer is located. Don't use it as a general dumping ground. Reward yourself with one hour of uninterrupted reading time. 7. Project: Clean out your purse Reward: Finding the items you put in there that you couldn't find before when you needed them. Take a few minutes and clean out your purse. We always carry around more than we need, and then when we need something, we can't find it. In addition to the reward of finding what you need, you may also find lots of loose change you just tossed into your purse. Use that loose change to start saving for something fun. 8. Project: Gather up donations and deliver to charity or call for a pickup Reward: Tax deduction for donations We always have items that we could easily part with, whether it is outgrown clothing from our children, or items we no longer wear. Gather these up into sacks, and either take them to a charity like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Many times they will send a truck out to pick up items. You just have to call them and schedule a pickup. Your reward is a receipt that you can use as a deduction on your taxes. The IRS has a list of items and their value for donation purposes that you can get on their website. 9. Project: Set up a meal/menu plan for 2 weeks or a month Reward: Hassle free dinner plans Spend the time going through your cookbooks and recipe files and plan your menus for a month. Even two weeks gives you a great variety of meals that you can repeat without feeling like you've just eaten that item. Once you have your menu plan in place, you've not only simplified dinner prep by eliminating that ‘what shall I fix for dinner’ dilemma, but you've made your grocery shopping more organized as well. 10. Project: Clean out and organize your garage Reward: More storage and work space The time you spend cleaning out the garage will pay big dividends when it comes to room for your car--thereby eliminating the need for scraping winter windows if you live in snow country. You will have ample space to store your holiday decorations, and you will have workspace for gardening or woodworking and so forth. The rewards far outweigh the work involved in cleaning out the garage. ----- GET ORGANIZED AT THE OFFICE-- YOU'LL BE SUPER PRODUCTIVE WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK HARDER AND YOUR CLUTTER-FREE OFFICE WILL BE THE ENVY OF YOUR CO-WORKERS Your phone is ringing, your email inbox is bursting, your To File tray is spilling onto the floor. You can't find the paper you're looking for. Your To Do list is already so long, and growing by the second. You can never leave work on time, you're missing deadlines and you're up to your eyeballs in work. As they say, somethings gotta give! Are you ready to get organized at the office? Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffoffice.html ============================================ NEW STUFF AND SITE UPDATES Everything below is accessible by visiting: http://www.getorganizednow.com Please note that we update our site on a weekly basis, so the new stuff and site updates below may only be available for one week. ** Get Organized Now! Blog: Department 2 Read my personal comments, stories tips and observations about getting and staying organized in today's hectic world. You don't want to miss it. Newest entries: 1) 10/12 - Tackling Your To Do's 2) 10/05 - So and So is Dropping By 3) 09/28 - 15 Minute Increments Until Completion 4) 09/21 - Your energy levels affect your organizing efforts 5) 09/16 - We're now on both Facebook and Twitter Visit: http://getorganizednow.typepad.com/get_organized_now_weblog/ ** NEW Organizing Clinic: Department 10 A reader asks, 'I began jewelry beading and stamping cards about two years ago. I have collected many supplies for each craft. All of my supplies seem to have meshed into one large disorganized mess. Every time I begin a project, I gather the supplies needed and before I know it I have gathered a table and desk top full of stuff, and I lose my desire to work on my craft.' How does organizing expert, Maria Gracia, suggest she overcome this dilemma? Go to the link below and look for the beads. http://getorganizednow.com/#clinic ** NEW Weekly Organizing Challenge: Department 1 Each week, you'll get a new challenge that should take you 30 minutes or less to accomplish. How fun knowing that lots of people are working on the same goal! Check out what this week's challenge is. We've just posted our Week of October 17th challenge. Go to the link below and look for the figure holding the green checkmark. http://getorganizednow.com/#challenge ** NEW Web Poll Our featured multiple choice question is, 'Are you always on time, or generally late, for appointments and events?' Go to the following link and cast your vote. It only takes a second, and your opinion can be heard. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/#webpoll ** October Monthly Checklist: Department 1 Leaf disorganization behind and fall into a wonderfully organized life, with our new October monthly checklist. Go to the link below and look for the fallen leaves. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#checklist ============================================ DROWNING IN A SEA OF LOOSE PAPERS AND STICKY NOTES? HERE'S HELP! You have to remember a birthday, so that gets written on a calendar. You have to make a grocery list, so you scribble down a few items and stick the list on the fridge. Someone gives you a phone number, and it gets written in the address book. You're planning your garden, and that information is stored in a notebook. You want to keep track of the movies you want to see, or the books you want to read--another sheet of paper. A friend gives you an email address on a sticky note that is now attached to your computer monitor. Paper, paper and yet more paper--it's all over your home, stuck to the refrigerator, bulletin boards and computer monitors, scattered on your kitchen table and your desk. Are you at your wit's end? If so, you'll be happy to know that I have the perfect solution to this problem. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html ============================================ AN ORGANIZING TIP FROM ONE OF OUR READERS My wife and I were cleaning our refrigerator and came up with the idea of putting small bottles (i.e. Tabasco, Worcestershire, cocktail sauces, etc.) in little containers, rather than storing them loose. Doing so keeps them from falling through the rails on the door of the refrigerator. It works great and no stains on the refrigerator door! Chuck Tyrrell Philadelphia, PA * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ============================================ LEARN HOW TO ORGANIZE AND PROTECT YOUR ENTIRE PHOTO COLLECTION IN AS LITTLE AS 10 DAYS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND Have you got years and years' worth of photos that have never even made it out of the film developers' envelopes? Worse yet, have you got rolls of film that haven't even been developed? Are you up to your eyeballs in boxes and stashes of photos that are a jumbled mess? Wondering how you'll ever manage to organize the old photos you've inherited when you're already frazzled by your own collection? Feeling frustrated by rummaging through your piles in search of a special photograph only to come up empty handed? Have you slowed down or even stopped your picture taking because you just don't know where you'd put any more photos? Are you fed up with feeling overwhelmed and guilty about your out-of-control photo collection? You're not alone and, I'm happy to report, there is now help. There are so many people out there that are overwhelmed with the seemingly monumental (O.K. make that monumental) task of organizing their photographs. It's just too big of a job to go it alone. We all need support, encouragement, and even just the sense that we're not alone. If you want to get your photos organized once and for all, visit: http://getorgnow1.photohelp.hop.clickbank.net/ You'll be glad you did! ============================================ GET ORGANIZED NOW! RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK The holiday season is upon us, and those extra calories are calling our names. Just the thought of all that turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie to come gave me the motivation I needed to eat a salad for lunch today, go for a walk, and a have a quick pep talk with my good friend, Cate. Recently, my friend Cate and her husband came up with a simple, workable plan that she and her husband used to shed unwanted pounds without starving or dieting. Cate dropped two dress sizes. Her husband dropped a bunch of pounds too. They did this with three children and full schedules of games and dance classes and all that fun stuff. Her solution, called 'Real People Don't Diet' is great. Cate is a real person who found a way for a real family to eat and lose, while not grossing out the kids! As she says, 'All you'll need to do is take simple math, apply it to your eating habits and keep on living your life.' That's so do-able. So, if you'd like to stop dieting and start eating, I highly encourage you to check out 'Real People Don't Diet' right now. Visit: http://getorgnow1.budgexpert.hop.clickbank.net --Maria Gracia P.S. You'll love Cate's strategy and you'll be thrilled to say goodbye to those excess pounds! ============================================ AN ORGANIZING TIP FROM ONE OF OUR READERS When my daughter was born, we had a changing table for her. When she outgrew it, sentimental as I am, I didn't want to get rid of it. Now we use it in the garage where our washer and dryer are. I have put six laundry baskets, two on each level. I labeled each basket in black ink for sorting: whites, reds, darks, towels, sheets, and hand washing. Everyone can easily and quickly sort their own laundry when they bring their laundry basket to the garage. It works great and speeds up the laundry process because the sorting is already done. It also helps when you are teaching your children to do laundry so they don't mix a red shirt with the whites! Carolyn Lane Eureka, CA * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ============================================ KICK THE SMOKING HABIT...FOR GOOD! Ok, so you smoke. You already know this is not the healthiest route you could take in your life. You've probably, in fact, tried to quit a number of times. Perhaps you've used patches, gum, sprays or pills, but you just can't seem to kick the habit no matter what you do. Well, that's all over. I've found something that could actually help you stop smoking in less than an hour. And the best news is... You will not have to spend hundreds buying medication and pills. You will not suffer from anxiety when you quit. You will not need to set a 'quit date'. You will not have to avoid social occasions for fear of a relapse. You will not have to follow any special diet or take any supplements. You will not suffer from hunger--there will be no weight gain. You will not need to prepare a 'smokers diary' or do any preparation work. You will not have to chew gum or wear any patches. That's right! It really is that easy to give up smoking forever, and take charge of the rest of your life. Do yourself and your family a favor. Visit: http://getorgnow1.quitsmokin.hop.clickbank.net/ ============================================ ORGANIZING CHALLENGE NOTES Week of October 10th: Donate a Kitchen Appliance You Haven't Used in Ages This challenge just cracked me and my husband up. We looked at our counter being overtaken with a tabletop grill, popcorn popper, bread machine, food processor, blender, sandwich press, pancake griddle, toaster oven, mixer and waffle iron. We donated everything but the blender, food processor and mixer--the only 3 items we ever use. We thank you, as does our counter! --James and Laurie, Nebraska We decided to donate to charity a Waffle Baker and a Bread Machine. My husband is diabetic so carbohydrates are a problem for him. He's now been diagnosed as gluten sensitive. Waffles and Bread are defineatly OFF his menu now. Nice to have a little more room in my cabinet. --Maria Johnson Week of October 3rd: Organize Your Coupons Coupons, which are a necessity for a family of five, are a pain in the purse. At least they used to be until I got a handy little hardcover coupon organizer book that fits in my purse. It has many different categories in the book under which to file the coupons. I am in love with coupons and saving money once again. Thank you for a great challenge! --Tracy Swartz, AB Canada ============================================ BECOME OUR FAN ON FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Get-Organized-Now/50467098715?ref=ts * * * * * FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Visit Twitter and follow me: http://twitter.com/getorgnow ============================================ IN CLOSING Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication. --Leonardo da Vinci And remember . . . there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now! Warmly, Maria Gracia Get Organized Now! http://www.getorganizednow.com ============================================ (c) Copyright 2009 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now! * Copyright, contact and reprint information: http://www.getorganizednow.com/contact.html * You signed up to receive our Idea-Kit and/or our Newsletter at our Get Organized Now! Web site. We never add names unless you have voluntarily opted in. * We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone. 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