Organizing Magazine Subscriptions
March 8, 2011
Whether at work or at home, many of our clients struggle with magazine clutter. Magazines seem to pile up faster than any other kind of paper, and people save them under the assumption that they will get to reading them “someday”. So often, these publications just pile up and collect dust. Here are some strategies that you can use to minimize magazine clutter in your world:
- Cancel Subscriptions – If you are always behind or it becomes a chore to keep up with a particular magazine, then consider canceling the subscription. If you subscribe to many publications, pick your top favorites and cancel the rest. You can always pick up an occasional issue if you are going on vacation. Like many of you, I love my magazines, but after struggling to keep up with them, I canceled two of my subscriptions (one personal and one business related). I was surprised at how relieved I felt to not have the “pressure” of keeping up with them.
- Subscribe Online – Many publications now offer online subscriptions. This is a great option if you use your publication primarily for reference. If you need to look something up, you can go online and search the current and back issues for your desired topic, without the clutter.
- Tear out Articles – Keep only those articles that interest you and recycle the rest. The FIRST time you go through the magazine, tear out the articles that interest you. You can either read and toss them when you are done, scan them and store them on your computer, or store them in a 3-ring binder using divider tabs to sort the articles by topic.
- Label – Some publications have wonderful information in them and are worth keeping. If that is the case, label and store them so that you can find them again quickly. Magazine file organizers work well. They stand the magazines up and you can store them on a shelf. They are easy to label as well.
Whether you find yourself buried in publications at home, at work, or both, try implementing some of these strategies and watch your piles of magazines disappear.
–Donna Lindley, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc.
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To find more magazine organizers, visit Organizeit.com
Always wanted that one product?
March 2, 2011
Is there a product you wish you had but could not seem to find anywhere?
Our buyers are attending the International Housewares Association Show to find fresh & new products so that they’re available to you! Have any suggestions for us?
Let us know by:
- Commenting on this blog post
- Telling us on our Facebook wall
- Or tweeting your ideas to @Organize_It
Thanks for all your feedback!
Let’s take a look at what our fans suggested and the solutions:
(p.s. click on the image for more info on the product!)
| Michele Gohlke: how about an under the cabinet fold up banana hook? | Sorry Michele, we looked and looked and we could not find one. We will keep our eyes open though! | |
| Alyssa Parkinson: inexpensive juice box holders! |  |
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| Alyssa Parkinson: Kids art supply storage |  |
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| Alice Benjamin: I am looking for an expandable dryer — the kind that gets attached to the wall and extends out when needed (looks like a small version of the wood ones that stand up). |  |
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| Immaculate Professional Organizers: We’re looking for a spice rack to organize a large collection of spices for a client, who lives in a small Southern California condo. |  |
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| Alyssa Parkinson: I’m looking for a clothes dryer that is not made of flimsy wood, that I do not have to zip tie together after 3 days of use…free standing and foldable but quality construction! |  |
Make Life Easy, Organize-It!
-Missy
Organizing Home Office Closets
February 23, 2011
Recently, I have given you advice about what to consider when organizing clothes closets and kids closets. What about a home office closet? Many people convert a spare bedroom into a home office. Often the closets are overlooked. Most bedroom closets need to be retrofitted to work effectively in a home office. Here are some things to consider when setting up your home office closet:
- Store Supplies – Supplies are the most common thing you will store in a home office closet. For example: printer ink, printer paper, staples, tape, scissors, labels, filing supplies, CDs, binders, brochures, business cards, letterhead, notecards, envelopes, postage, pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, paper clips, rubber bands, binder clips, post-it notes, etc. I could go on and on. If you try to cram these items into a traditional closet with a bar and a shelf across the top, you are likely to experience stress and frustration whenever you try to find something. Which brings me to my next point…
- Use Lots of Shelves – The more shelves the better. This will allow you to divide some of the smaller items into bins or buckets and still have plenty of space.
- Use Adjustable Shelving – Your needs will change over time – I guarantee it. Adjustable shelving allows you flexibility to change your closet as needed to work for you.
- Consider a Literature Sorter – A literature sorter or paper sorter is great for organizing different kinds of printer paper (white, colored, 3 hole punched, etc.), letterhead, labels, envelopes, etc.
Remember the fundamental law of organizing: a place for everything and everything in its place. If you want your home office closet to be functional, you need to group the different types of supplies together and assign them a “home”. Once you do this, you will always know where to find them and it will make clean-up a breeze.
– Donna Lindley, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc.
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To find more office organizers, visit Organizeit.com