Keeping Short Accounts

I thought my life was pretty full: a husband, two active little boys, church involvement, playdates, etc.Now some changes have happened in our family and I'm finding myself caregiving for family beyond those who live under the same roof.

Life can change in the blink of an eye. Or at least an ambulance ride.

This experience caused an important thought to resurface in my mind: it's so important to keep short accounts.

Don't put off making that phone call to say "I Love You" or "I'm Sorry" or whatever you want to share. Put a date on the calendar to get together with friends. Even if you have to reschedule later, commit to being present with those you care about.

Along the same lines, but in a more nuts-and-bolts application, I really try not to put off until tomorrow the things I can quickly do today. I'm in the middle of reading Getting More Done: 10 Steps for Outperforming Busy People by Chris Crouch. He suggests that you immediately address anything which can be done in under two minutes. He also has a great quote about maintaining white space in your mail program:

"Most problems related to email center around one issue: how long you typically allow an email to sit in your inbox."   --Chris Crouch

I pay my bills when they come in. I read the mail every day. I return voicemails as soon as possible. Not only does it keep the clutter down, I exert less mental energy remembering it for another time.

When I worked, I often looked through my files and papers making sure that someone else could easily find stuff if one day I didn't come back (due to going into labor or winning the lottery, of course... :)

I guess it boils down to this: If you've got "to-do" items that will affect others if they go undone, it's time to make them a priority. We never know what tomorrow holds.

The dusting, eh, not so much...

Disclaimer: I downloaded Chris Crouch's book on my own, with no financial incentive. All opinions are my own.

In and Out: Entryways

I've talked a lot about the importance of having a place to go with all the things you bring in the door. You need to be able to "stage" things so that you can sort and redirect them.

At the same time, there's an equally important need for figuring out what to do with stuff that needs to leave your house. Not only does this include your keys, phone, coat, purse, etc. but can also include other items that are easier to forget about: clothing to donate, cloth grocery bags that need to go into the car, items to return to family members, gifts you need to take somewhere, and so forth. You get the idea.

Greeting Cards

I was recently invited to a gathering with some of the moms from my MOPS group. One of the organizers prepared a bunch of great conversation starters, including the question "What are you good at?" There are many talented women in this world, and I really enjoyed hearing the answers from around the table. They included everything from 'loving my kids' to 'keeping an attractive home' to 'keeping in touch with others'. The last answer sparked some conversation about greeting cards.

A lot of us want to send nice cards and notes but have trouble following through. One woman noted she has a friend who buys cards and sends them right away. Her friend wants the card to go out when she thinks of it--before it is too late--even if that means it's weeks ahead of the birthday!

That comment got my wheels turning and I've compiled a few tips for you on how to make the prep work of sending cards a bit easier:

The Six Commandments of Organizing (Part 1)

So, here we are just a few days until baby is scheduled to arrive. I made some serious "nesting" headway this week, reviewing and filing receipts, making lists and packing my bag for the hospital. I was also cleaning up some of the files that I saved to my computer's desktop, and found a list that I made for a friend several years ago. Here is the first installment for your inspiration: 

1. Each area of the house should be set up for only one type of activity.  Don’t pay bills in the kitchen, or eat in the bedroom. Use rooms for their intended purpose and designate an area for paperwork in an office or at a desk. Don’t cram all your activities into one room, or you’ll set yourself up to lose things!
2. Handle items only once, or at the very most, twice.  Sort your mail next to the trash can.  Toss junk mail right away, take bills immediately to your desk (or schedule them for online payment immediately). Don’t make a habit of ‘piling’ unless you make a habit of sorting the pile for an hour each week!
3. Designate one place in the house that will always be clutter-free to serve as your sorting area. You need a place to set down grocery bags, stacks of paperwork or supplies, and any other items you bring home with you. Unpack or spread out the items, then start putting things away immediately, working to clear off the sorting area.  Sometimes you have to make a mess in order to organize or clean it up!

Lost Keys

I can't believe it. I lost a set of keys!

They were a spare set, but still. I pride myself on having a good system in the foyer so that this doesn't happen. It's not appropriate to blame my two-year-old for moving them, is it? Since I went and had a new set made this morning, I'm sure they will turn up later this week!

One of the first things we bought for this house was an entryway set with a matching table, mirror and lamp. This was in part because we have a pretty large foyer compared to the rest of our house. Plus, it was important to me that there was a place to set things when coming home, or set things that needed to go out (library books, mail, etc.). It's easier for me to remember what needs to go out the door if it's nearby.

After we set up that nice entry table, I also found a bowl to put keys in. That bowl of keys has become sort of a toy these days (whose toddler doesn't love to repeatedly lock and unlock the car with a remote?) but for five and a half years, that was an easy way to keep track of keys. The idea would also work nicely for hubby's wallet and cell phone, but it's never really caught on. :)

Well, here's hoping I find those keys!

Update: these keys were found lurking in the diaper bag, of all places. :)

Room by Room: Office

Well, we have exciting news...baby #2 is due in November! I guess this is a partial excuse for my infrequent posting the past few weeks.

As we prepare to welcome a new little one, we will soon say goodbye to our office (the third bedroom). Truthfully, we've been working towards this goal over the past year. We have gone virtually paperless, paying bills online and scanning documents that we want to save. Still, losing this space has me thinking about what is really essential when there is limited space.

For my home office needs, I've narrowed it down to a laptop and mouse, flat workspace, a file box, a safe, a scanner, shredder, router and one shelf of a cupboard for office supplies. I really didn't think we could pare down from two desks to this little. It was refreshing to cut down on files and realize that I really only need to save the most recent bill from the water company, the electric company and so forth.

One tip from a friend: Lest you become too zealous in getting rid of paper, make sure you have at least one copy of recent bills (electronic or paper). If you need to call for service, they will want your account number, and you don't want to be left without it.
Do you have pictures of a condensed workspace that you want to share? Please post a comment; I'd love to spotlight some of your ideas!

Mail, Bills and Paperwork

Key idea: Handle a piece of paper only once. At most, twice.

Mail is one of the most aggravating things to keep up with, because it comes nearly every day. And 90% of it is stuff that we don't need or want. Who wants bills, right?

Here's a typical scenario at our house: My darling husband checks the mailbox when he gets home from work, before he even gets in the house. He drops his briefcase and keys in the foyer and plops the mail on the kitchen counter. After saying his hellos, he pulls out what he wants to look at and sets it back on the pile. Then, if it's a day that I've been at work, we launch into making dinner. The mail gets in the way.

Every house seems to have a clutter catch-all. For some people, it's right inside the front door. At my house and  my parents' house, it's the kitchen counter. A wise woman advised me before we were married, "Figure out what one part of your house always has to be clean [for your peace of mind] and make sure your husband understands that." Turns out, my place is that kitchen counter.

Mail bursting into flames (gas stove) and Christmas cards splattered with tomato sauce are unsafe and inappropriate, so how can you deal with the inevitable flow of paper into your house?

• First, I open and look through everything in one batch, and pull out what needs attention or is actually fun to read. Hubby and I look at any letters or cards right away, and magazines are placed in the living room for future reading. If something needs to be filed, that goes with the bills. Since we pay our bills online, the outer envelope, return envelope and any stuffing gets put on a pile for recycling. The bills that need payment get set aside to be entered into the computer. This reminds me that I should set up my accounts to receive bills electronically... Look for a future post on why paying bills and managing money online can save you time and money, if you aren't already doing it.

• Second, recycle as much of the junk paper as possible. I have become a big fan of the Abitibi Paper Retrievers in the area since they provide money for local schools. I usually drop off a paper bag full once a week. To learn more, visit paperretriever.com.

• Third, if you have time, try and get off the mailing lists of charities, catalogs or other companies that send you junk mail. That way, they won't sell your name to someone else who will send you junk mail. And of course, make sure you pull out the bills and pay them, so you don't end up getting more mail in the form of late notices.

We've been swamped with credit card offers recently. While I love to recycle, I shred anything that could be simple for an identity thief to work from before I recycle the shredded paper. If you want to be removed from the list for pre-approved credit card offers, you can follow an automated system by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visiting OptOutPreScreen.com. This will notify the big three credit bureaus that you don't want such mailings for five years.