Home Office Organization

Our topic at this month’s Jersey Shore Direct Sellers Networking Group was follow-up.  I LOVE my follow-up system but none of it works if my office is a hot mess!  About once a month, I need to take time to completely organize my office AGAIN!

Wouldn’t it be nice to walk into your home office and be able to find exactly what you need, right away? Imagine the time I would save (and you).  One less “project” so you could spend time with your family, friends and actually working in your business, and not on it.

With a little time and the right organizing tools, you can make it happen!  You can transform your home office from a HOT MESS to an efficient, well-functioning space which will help you to achieve your biggest business goals.  Redoing your entire office can be a HUGE undertaking, so unless you have a full weekend to devote to it, why not focus on one area at a time.

Pick one thing which needs attention.  Let’s think about what would work for your follow-up system.  Do you have a filing cabinet?  Or do you just use the drawers of your desk? Or do you just shuffle piles of papers on your desk?

Clear out and organize your papers

A great first step is to clear out all the papers in your office, whether they’re stacked on your desk or spilling from your filing cabinet. Take this chance to scrub the cleared-off areas, too, so you’ll have a perfectly clean space to work with.

Then use the rule of threes to organize to sort your stacks: one pile to toss or shred, one to file and one that needs action.  When I am working I use the principal of never touching a paper more than once!  Yes, it can be done.

A couple of Fold N’ Files in a color which complements your home décor work well to store the important documents you need to keep accessible.  I have several of them.  I love the fact they fit in my zip top organizing tote so when I need to travel, I can take files with me without having to pull them out.

Use creative storage solutions to better utilize space.  Often, a home office is part of a shared space, which means getting creative with your storage.

Portable storage like the new-for-spring Your Way Display Bin not only gives you a handy place to store loose odds and ends like staplers, calculators and pens, but it also lets you combine (and carry) multiple solutions to best fit your needs: Think Double Duty Caddies for paperwork, Mini Storage Bins for crafts or a Mini Catch-All Bin for gift-wrapping supplies. The result? A clean, uncluttered home office with more desk space where you need it.

Incorporate a larger tote or storage container to help you stay organized

Since it’s inevitable that certain items will make it into your office that don’t belong there, keep a portable tote or storage container under your desk to toss them into. A Catch-All Bin, Your Way Rectangle or Your Way Rectangle Basket all work well for catching your miscellaneous bits and pieces. Don’t forget to color-coordinate for added appeal!

Once a day or once a week, take the container with you through the house to return your stray items to where they belong.

An organized home office doesn’t have to be just a dream. Once you’ve transformed your space, share your pictures with us! We love seeing newly organized spaces which make great use of our fun and functional Thirty-One Gifts products. Additional tips can be found on Thirty One’s blog

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

How to Organize Your House

Thank you JEN WALLACE for today’s organization tips..

Believe it or not, organizing your home isn’t rocket science. The basics of learning how to organizeyour space are actually pretty simple; the difficult parts are taking the first step and staying committed.

Living Room

• Form and Function Storage Options – Solutions like storage ottomans and coffee tables with hidden storage are ideal for the living room.
• Everything Has a Home – One of the key principles of organization is “everything has its place” and that’s never more true than in the living room–the one room that is the public face of your home.
• Have a Catchall Option – When company arrives unexpectedly it is handy to have a basket or a trunk that can be used for temporary storage of games, books, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitchen

• Banish Junk Drawers – One of the most important ways to organize your kitchen is to banish the junk drawer.
• Label – Labeling everything from food storage jars to shelves is ideal in the kitchen. There’s little doubt about where things go when there is a label.
• Must Haves Only – Pare down those kitchen multitaskers and only keep what you truly need to get dinner on the table.
• Create Stations – From a coffee and tea station to a food prep station setting your kitchen up smartly is key.

 

Bedrooms

• Under the Bed Storage – Don’t forget about adding drawers, boxes or bins under the bed for added organization spaces.
• Organize Your Closet – While it may seem like a herculean task, make sure to tackle your closet. Make the room that when you add a new item, you need to get rid of one in its place.
• Jewelry and Accessory Storage Solutions – Spend time organizing your jewelry and other accessories to they are easier to find.

Entryway

• Shoe Storage is a Must – Some kind of shoe storage is a necessity to keep your entryway from being cluttered–and so you can find your other shoe.
• Pare Down the Coat Closet – Get rid of those old coats that don’t fit anymore and donate them to charity.
• Add Lockers, Cubbies to Avoid the “Drop Zone” – To keep the entrance to your home clutter-free, add cubbies, lockers, a coat rack, hook rail or some other solution for the coats and bags that always accumulate there.

Home Office

• Control Wires – Add wire storage to keep help your office feel neater.
• Schedule Filing Time – If your desk is always at risk of triggering a paper avalanche, schedule filing time every week to keep on top of things.
• Keep Your Workstation Clear – Store aware unnecessary office accessories
• Cut Down on Paper – One way to cut down on paper records is with recordkeeping apps like Shoeboxed and Evernote.

Bathroom

• Essentials Only – If you are wondering how to organize in the bathroom one way is to rid the bathroom of everything but only the essentials.
• Add Back of Door Storage – Adding hanging rods or some other hanging storage is a trick to add more storage space to the bathroom.
• Vertical Storage – Make the most of the bathroom space by adding vertical organizational space with shelves or a countertop vertical storage unit.

What is YOUR best tip for keeping your home organized?  Share it with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Give a Special Gift

Valentine’s Day is gone.  Mardia Gras has passed too.  I can hardly believe that Easter is just around the corner.  No, really, it is true?  Easter is early this year – March 27th.

Now, if you don’t have kids in school you might not have realized that it is slowly creeping up on us. Holidays have a tendency to do that now that Belinda is grown and I work mostly from home.  It is like a SMACK on the head and then it is almost too late to get things together.

So, today is just a sneak peak at some of the AMAZING things that Thirty One has for the upcoming Easter basket…

Maybe you are a planner and need some gifts for: birthdays, anniversaries, or graduations; these are great for everyone.  Check out my website for more prints and to personalize that special gift.  Need help?  Reach out, I am always available to do print previews for you so that we can find the one that is perfect for you.

Placing an order, be sure to add this month’s customer special.  Get the NEW Tall Organizing Tote for $10 with just a $35 purchase:

Which “basket” would you pick and who would you give it to?  SHHHH!!! We won’t tell. 🙂

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Pictures are courtesy of Christina’s Creations