My personal favorite is the promotion cards that come equipped with a hole in one corner so that you can just attach them to your keychain and you just grab your keys when you need to swipe a Kroger card, Blockbuster card; you name it. I try to keep mine all next to one another on the keychain so I just flip through my cards instead of a mess of keys. Unfortunately, not all places have caught on to this keychain idea. Another good solution in these instances is either a simple business card holder, debit/credit card holder devoted to rewards cards, or one of these neat offerings from Real Simple. [Card Wheel, pictured right] The clear plastic lets the cashier scan the bar code on the card without even having to remove it from the case! This organizer would also let you keep other cards that you use regularly, such as prepaid phone cards, business cards or appointment cards so that when you need them, you know where to find them quickly. The card wheels also come in a few different colors and can be found at Target.

If you are already using the keychain idea, you may have found that you another problem. You can’t find your keys! I know I’ve spent lots of time rifling through my purse to find them. There are several solutions. I use a very large keytag. It is one of those punch-card-esqe keyfobs that you acquire at many scrapbooking stores. They are big, white, and plastic, and very easy to spot in a dark bag. If your keychain is missing one and you do not wish to acquire one, there are other ideas. First, you can get a smaller purse or handbag. It’s easier to find things in a smaller space. If this is not possible, you can delegate a certain pocket (preferably on the outside of the bag) to dispense your keys as long as you will stick to it. If none of these work for you, you can try a purse key finder. It hooks over the side of your bag (the part showing usually has a very nice design) and then your keys are dangling from it on the inside. Of course, this works best with purses that don’t have zipper closures, but even then you could most likely work around it. The key finder [Finders Key Purse,* Red Dress model, pictured left] just clips on to your keys (so you don’t lose that either!) and you just “hang it up” when you are on your way out. These are also available through Amazon.com and I’ve seen them in tea rooms and other novelty stores.

Another handy way to minimize things in your purse is to use this free web service: http://www.justoneclubcard.com/. You input the barcodes of the cards that you use most often, up to 8 per card, and you will be able to print out a card with all your barcodes on them.

Perhaps the most obvious way to combat purse clutter is to go through it at least once a week, removing receipts and superfluous things from it. Make a point to only keep what is absolutely necessary to your life in that purse. When I was working at a retail store, I often found that I needed more than what my “shopping” handbag could hold. I purchased a larger bag but I would switch it out when I went to work or when I was going out, leaving duplicates of some things (mints, chapstick) in both bags at all times, and the items necessary to each activity in its respective bag. You could also adjust this for other activities such as working out, that way you don’t have to risk forgetting something. Of course, I only have one wallet but I made sure that it carried everything that I would need and only switched it from bag to bag, instead of piles of other things that I like to carry with me.

Finally, the last tip for keeping an organized purse is to use the storage space that is given! I’m very guilty of this myself, since I have several pockets in my purses that I don’t even use! Receipts should go in one pocket, chapstick, mints, gum, or dental floss in another. Try to organize in a way that makes sense to you. If keeping your Starbucks card and your dental floss together makes sense to you, then don’t try to work against that. You’ll only frustrate yourself when you hunt for your Starbucks card (again) and can’t find it! If you prefer to keep your receipts next to their perspective debti/credit cards or gift cards, work with that - although you might run out of pockets!

Purses for women can be a great convenience, but if you let the black hole syndrome overtake you, you can find yourself very inconvenienced instead.

*I have not personally purchased anything through lynnsuniqueqifts.com.While the site looks legitimate, please exercise caution when purchasing items online.

1. Bite off a small piece. This means that instead of attacking your entire residence, or even one whole room, you take a small, manageable part of your life to organize. It might be your filing cabinet is a little messy, or maybe underneath your kitchen sink. Try to keep it simple, and the satisfaction of completing a small task will motivate you to continue on to the next one.
2. Maintain your projects. Not only do you need to organize your small section, but you need to keep it that way. If you decided to attack your filing cabinet, and you kept it simple by organizing only what was in it, next time you happen to see a document that should be in there, go ahead and stick it in.
3. Keep going back to it. If pruning the DVD rack or bookshelf for things you no longer want or need was the project, then keep returning to it. You may have a change of heart when you realize the last time you watched There’s Something About Mary was the day you brought it home. Things you weren’t willing to part with the first go around you may be stuffing in a “To sell” box two weeks later.
4. Set goals. Pick a room or maybe a theme that you want to get organized. It may be your media (CDs, DVDs, books, etc) or maybe a room, like your kitchen. Break down several small projects, and outline them - in order of preference or urgency - on a to-do list. [I prefer RememberTheMilk.com for my to-do lists, but several email applications also provide them - and there's always a regular sheet of paper!]
5. Pat yourself on the back. Job well done! Don’t forget to enjoy all the great progress you’ve made.

The idea is that you post any books that you are willing to send away to other readers across the nation on your “library shelf”. You get three free “credits” after you post your first 9. You can order any book that’s been posted on the system and it costs you one credit per book that you order from the system (2 per audiobook). The sender pays for the cost of postage out of their own pocket, and in turn, if someone requests a book from you, you are the one to pay for the postage. The cost is usually $2.13 (media mail). For an extra 18 cents, you can purchase Delivery Confirmation to ensure the delivery of your package. Once the book has arrived and the member has entered into the system that the book has been received, you receive another credit.

I have been using this service since March and I’ve found it to be absolutely wonderful. I’ve sent out several books without Delivery Confirmation and they’ve all reached their destinations without a problem. The selection is actually pretty good, although anything quite recent is generally unavailable, especially best sellers. Fortunately, there is a Wish List option - anything that is not currently posted you can add to a Wish List and when it becomes available, the system notifies you by email. Wish Lists work on a FIFO system - First In, First Out. Basically, when you add an item to your Wish List, you are put at the end of the line. Anyone that adds that book to their Wish List after you, is put after you on the line. As the book is posted, the first person in line gets it and so on through the list. It works the same for books that are posted onto the system. This keeps the trading system fair and running smoothly.

Along with the trading books portion of the site, there is also a lively community discussion forum and book reviews. This site is a sister site to SwapACD.com, and you can trade credits back and forth between them. SwapACD works in much the same way, but since it is newer the database is not as full as PaperBackSwap’s is.

To join, just click the link below! It will automatically fill me in as your referral - and enjoy your “new” books!