Tag Archives: paper organizing

Things I’m Putting Off, But Desperately Need To Do

1. Reorganize our pantry.

I got off to a good start at the beginning of the year, hauling home a huge amount of totes and bins from Target, but due to other members of the family not paying attention to my system (Tom, I’m looking at you), it demands a re-do. Our pantry has also become a bit of a catch-all. I don’t there’s anything too unrelated to kitchens / dining in there, but now I’m scared to look.

2. Create a filing system.

Tom and I have had separate filing methods since we got married 5 years ago. He takes care of his, and I take care of mine. And the problems with this are numerous…

– We now have a lot of joint accounts and shared assets, from savings accounts to our mortgage payments.

– We constantly lose W2 forms during tax season because they wind up all over the house.

– I use a pretty simple Banker’s box system; Tom… well, I’m still not really sure what his filing system is. But statements have turned up in some pretty random places around the house, including a drawer of our nightstands.

I have no idea where to start. As soon as I start thinking about this project, I feel completely overwhelmed. I feel like I need to take at least a week of vacation to sort it out and do it properly. Please, oh please, help me find the inspiration, determination and endurance to complete this task!!!

3. Stain the deck

While Tom will probably take the lead on this one, I should probably offer my services. At least to pick out a nice stain color 😉

We’re waiting for the weather to cool down before tackling this one, but then I see college football and Bengals games eating up our weekend afternoons…

4. Seal the driveway

There’s been some debate recently about how important this one is. Do we really need to seal our driveway? I guess it would help it last longer, because the last thing we want to do is pay thousands to have it re-poured in a few years. Thoughts? Any tips on driveway sealing?

What tasks are you putting off? Let’s inspire each other to conquer them!

Mail Call

I think it’s safe to assume that pretty much everybody struggles with mail cluttering up their kitchen/office/home. In our old home, our kitchen had a counter-height bar, which was conveniently located just inside the front door. And it soon became a haven for our daily mail. Piles would develop quickly, and practically take root for days (ahem, or weeks).

The same thing has started happening on the kitchen island in our new home. And I’m determined not to let it take over! So, I turned to two of my favorite sources for creative organizing inspiration – IHeartOrganizing and Pinterest.

These two ideas immediately caught my eye, both for the filing but also for their style! I’m definitely one of those people who demands that function also be stylish.

With these in mind, I headed to Target to hunt for file folders and a bin/basket. Then, I turned to IHeartOrganizing to get ideas for categories and sorting. Jen is amazingly organized. I wish she could come to my house and put me through an Organizing Bootcamp! (Remember how her tips helped whip my linen closet into shape?)

I decided what we needed based on the type of mail we receive and the items that easily get lost, like stamps or restaurant coupons, labeled the folders…

and voila! A kitchen countertop mail system!

The canvas tote (similar one here) and file folders are from Target. The pencil holder is blown glass and was made by my cousin, Laurel (visit her website here).

So far, it seems to be working out pretty well for us. What’s your solution for countertop clutter?