Tag Archives: organization

10 Things to Do on a Snowy Evening

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  1. Give your boots some love. Good maintenance is key in extending the life of your expensive footwear. Shower some extra attention on your boots every once in awhile by wiping them free of snow and salt residue and cleaning with a leather cleaner and/or a spray protector. Store boots in a well-ventilated area with low foot traffic and wait 24 hours before wearing again. (For more tips on this process, click here.)
  2. Start a scrapbook. A creative project that organizes your memorabilia can be both productive and fun and it’s a great way to store your memories in a way that they’re accessible and can be treasured more often. Not into scrapbooking? Create a shadow box, organize a photo album, or create a book online instead.
  3. Dream of summer and plan your garden. Just like a hairdresser needs to plan out a cut before he or she even picks up the scissors, those of us who are fortunate to have green spaces must do advance planning in order to enjoy them. Determine what needs to be done and what improvements you’d like to make to your yard or garden and plan accordingly. Do your research and plan a budget to avoid any unexpected expenses.
  4. Make a Someday/Maybe list. I think wintertime is the perfect time to sit indoors and daydream, don’t you? Take an evening, grab a journal, pour yourself a glass of wine and make your list- books to read, movies to see, music to listen to, restaurants to try, countries to visit, certifications to be earned. The possibilities are endless.
  5. Put together a Command Central binder. If you haven’t done so already, you must. The start of a new year is a perfect excuse to get your organizing system under control and I think there’s no better way to manage it than by using one of these. (I explain how to put one together here.)
  6. Have you done a Yearly Review yet? It’s not too late. Figure out how to do one here and get a firm grasp of what you really want for the year up ahead.
  7. Get your shine on. After all of the glitz and glamour of those holiday parties it’s a good idea to clean and store jewelry pieces carefully for the next round of special occasions. Put on a great playlist, grab your tools and give those goods some elbow grease!
  8. Thank the ones you love. I still believe in the power of a well-written thank you note. It’s a great way to keep in touch and shows people your appreciation and care. Didn’t send out Christmas cards? Sending out non-denominational New Years cards also seems to have become a thing. There’s no reason not to correspond now!
  9. Organize those tax receipts now. Don’t wait until the weather is nicer and you actually want to go outside. Use this period of hibernation as a productive way to get things done!
  10. Pick a drawer, any drawer. That’s it. Dump it, clean it, organize it and make a vow to yourself that you will never, ever let it get disorganized again (or at the very least for another year, until you have another snowy evening on which to organize it again).

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I’ve shared with you some of the ways that I spend my snowy evenings- now I’m interested in hearing how you spend yours! Drop me a line at keepingbusyb@gmail.com or contribute by commenting below. Are you looking for other productive boredom busters? I’ve got plenty of thoughts on organizing here. Looking for something a little more creative? When I’m not busying myself with some project or another I’m reading or whipping up something in the kitchen. Read all about it here and here.

Making a List-So You Don’t Have to Check It Twice!

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KBB_making_a_listAfter taking a quick survey of friends, family members and café baristas (those last interviews were a little awkward), I figured out that everyone struggles when sending out Christmas cards each year. One woman even confessed that last year she sent hers on Boxing Day- not a great plan considering that’s still a holiday for postal workers.

Even though most people know me as a great advocate of anything involving written correspondence, I think they would be surprised to find that I actually struggle with Christmas cards as well. It’s not that I don’t enjoy writing them- fun pens and a glass of wine usually help with that- it’s just the sheer amount of cards that make the task so intimidating.

So what do you do when faced with a stack of blank cards?

Make like Santa Claus, and make a list.

I know, some days I think I should change my middle name to “List” (my middle initial is already L) but making a Christmas card list is easy- just write down all the names of the people to whom you send or give Christmas cards. (If you’ve already done this for your Christmas gifts, make sure you reference that list as well. Here’s how to make one here.) Make sure you include names of spouses and/or children (I think it’s nice to include everyone!).

I make this task easier every year by keeping track of all the names and addresses of people who have sent me cards the year before. There’s a copy on my computer and a copy in my command central binder for easy reference.

Find some way to differentiate between the cards that you’ll send in the mail and the cards that you’ll be delivering in person. Don’t forget to further separate your mailing list between cards that are sent nationally and internationally. Check with your local post office to see the recommended due dates for national and international mailings.

To make the process easier on myself every year, I usually keep a running total of the number of people on my list so I know how many Christmas cards to buy (although it’s always good to have extra) and so I can calculate how much I will need to spend on postage and budget accordingly. You may even want to invest in return address labels, or keep an updated file for mailing labels on your computer ready.

Then it’s just a matter of getting the creative juices flowing with a little eggnog, some carols and a Christmas cookie or two. It doesn’t have to be Shakespeare. Write about the weather, any major events that have happened to you or your family in the past year, and ask after their families and lives as well. Keep it sweet and simple.

Make sure if you’ve moved that you include a copy of your new address inside the card and on the envelope so people know where to reach you in the future. This is a great opportunity to ask for other addresses that are missing in your address book as well.

Lastly, please make sure you keep in mind the beliefs of all the people on your Christmas card list! Not everyone appreciates an über-religious card, and some people do not appreciate a Christmas card altogether. There’s nothing more embarrassing than realizing the “neutral holiday greeting card” that you’re about to give your Jewish boyfriend’s parents has a giant glittering Santa on it. (True story-it happened to a friend of mine years ago.)

Maybe you should have checked that list twice, after all.

KBwB-Flower-50

Now that you’ve checked your greeting cards off of your to-do list, you’re ready to tackle another project! Find more great ideas for organizing projects on my busy page.

 

10 Things to Do on a Rainy Afternoon

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  1. Winter is coming. Well, at the very least it comes once a year. Get your wardrobe ready by giving your sock drawer a mini-makeover. Make sure each sock has a mate and toss those that are on their last legs. Do the same for sockettes, footless tights, stockings, pantyhose, etc. Take inventory of the pieces you’ll need to get your through the colder months and save for your next shopping trip, or add to a future budget. (Feeling more ambitious and wanting to clean out your whole closet? I’ve got some tips on how to do that here.)
  2. Christmas is coming, too. Why not be super organized and spend a fun afternoon browsing the Internet and magazines to brainstorm some fun gifts for all of the people on your list? If you find birthday, anniversary or shower gifts to add to your list than you get a gold star.
  3. Craft your perfect playlist. An afternoon stuck inside is the perfect opportunity to start browsing through your digital library. Organize music based on mood, region, genre, beat, era or be even more prepared by crafting playlists for upcoming events or occasions. For example, I’ve got a playlist called “Broken Heart Mending”. Bet you can’t guess what that one’s for!
  4. Clean your oven. Because, come on- how often do you clean your oven? Probably more than I do. A friend of mine has a funny story he likes to tell about me at parties about the afternoon he walked into my apartment and found me on my hands and knees shouting obscenities at my baking rack. True story- it’s honestly my most hated task. But you have to do it sometime, right?
  5. Go through your pantry. Discard expired and damaged products, consolidate multiples and take inventories for your next shopping trip. See how much money you can save by stretching your staples and shopping your pantry to flush out meals before you need to go to the grocery store. Remember to donate anything your family won’t use or love to your local food bank!
  6. Organize your digital photos. Now is the perfect time, especially when a lot of your summer memories are current, to edit and refine your collections and store them in a way that makes them easy to revisit and share with others. Order prints of your favorites online to include with letters or holiday cards, or share by cultivating a collection on your favorite social media platform.
  7. Purge your files. Pick a filing cabinet, a box, a folder, or a magazine file and make a vow to yourself that nothing goes back inside that you don’t absolutely need to keep. Make sure to shred sensitive documents or set them aside and accumulate in order to hire a shredding service.
  8. Testing, testing, one, two, three. Once a year I like to do a quick inventory of all of my office supplies and test my pencils, pens, highlighters and markers on a scrap piece of paper so I may discard ones that have dried up, or have become difficult or uncomfortable to use. Hello, my name is B and I am anal-retentive. (In my defense, there’s nothing worse than grabbing a dead pen when you’re trying to jot something down quickly, right?)
  9. Back up your computer. If you don’t then all of that playlist organizing and digital photo sorting will be for naught. Don’t have a way of backing up your computer? Now’s the perfect time to research a method that will work for you.
  10. Pick a shelf, any shelf. That’s it. Clear it, clean it, organize it and make a vow to yourself that you will never, ever let it get disorganized again (or at the very least for another year, until you have another rainy afternoon on which to organize it again).

KBwB-Flower-50

I’ve shared with you some of the ways that I spend my rainy afternoons- now I’m interested in hearing how you spend yours! Drop me a line at keepingbusyb@gmail.com or contribute by commenting below. Are you looking for other productive boredom busters? I’ve got plenty of thoughts on organizing here. Looking for something a little more creative? When I’m not busying myself with some project or another I’m reading or whipping up something in the kitchen. Read all about it here and here.