Get Organized!

Organizing your ribbon with Edna, she's part of the EZ2Organize System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 20:09:00 +0000

Organizing Ribbon can be a challenge.

Edna -
Ribbon is Edna's main purpose. When you think about storing items like Ribbon, Washi Tape, or Baker's Twine, it's important to think about how you use those items. Generally, you want to have that spool or roll in your hand when you're working with it. When you put spools onto some type of rod or dowel (as seen in the image on the above) it becomes very difficult/cumbersome to remove them for use. Not to mention removing empty spools or trying to take particular spools to a crop or class.
Edna makes use, storage and transport easy.
Edna was designed with a focus on ease of use, simple storage and going to a crop or class.

Edna - Perfect for Ribbon Use, Storage, Transport

Top down view of Laura Tote.

Like all of the EZ2Organize Buddy Bags, Edna is made of clear vinyl. She is lined with a very lightweight clear plastic tray. The pull-ribbon at the end allows you to drop her into our Laura Tote, or into any other craft tote you might be using, and then easily pull her out. One of the challenges with taking smaller items to an event is that they have a tendency to drop to the bottom of your crop tote - never to be seen again. Imagine being able to reach down into your tote and pull out exactly what you need. Likewise, storing your Edna Bags on shelf and labeling them using the 4 SECTION SYSTEM will allow you to pull them right off your shelf and bring the to your work space. I suggest labeling your Edna bags at the end so if you do have them on a shelf or in a tote you can easily know which bag to pull out for use.

You can learn more about the Edna Buddy Bag and all of the EZ2Organize bags by visiting the EZ2Organize page on our website - Click Here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tif

New Academic Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 19:42:00 +0000

When I picked up my mail yesterday I was pleased to see a thick manila envelope in the pile. This was something I'd been waiting for. Not as exciting as something with Nordstrom printed in the return address corner, but far more exciting then the new cell phone bill.

The new school year has begun and with it comes the new calendar from Max's school.

Why keep the old one?
Keeping the old calendar can serve you well. When you're ready to create albums for this time period, the calendar will be a huge asset.
It's obviously an accurate record of the school year and major events.
Secondly, you've probably added your own notes and family events.

Finally, if the school sends you a calendar each year, it is most likely loaded with pictures of your children, they're friends, they're teachers and pictures of events that happen during the school year. The calendar is, in and of itself, a memento.

If you don't get a calendar from the school each year, you probably have you're own calendar and/or your child's school planner. Either of these will have the same benefits when saved.

Where should you store the old calendar?

With your Mementos from the school year of course!! I use our Memento Keeper, one for each school year. This makes it easy to put things away as they come in the door. If you're not using a Memento Keeper, maybe you have a file folder, or plastic box....just add the calendar to the box and you're done!

Hang your new calendar on the refrigerator and let the new school year begin!

Thanks for stopping by!
Tif

Stamp and Supply Suitcase - NEW

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 22:38:00 +0000

Wood mounted stamps can really present a challenge where organization is concerned.
If you put them on a shelf and arrange them by theme it's difficult to add new stamps and keeping them dust free is almost impossible.
Once you put them into a drawer they are "out of site out of mind."
If you load them into a tote, digging to the bottom becomes a huge chore, not that you'll remember what's down there anyway.
Our new Stamp and Supply Suitcases were designed to solve these problems.
Because these boxes can be store vertically, its easy to create a "library" of stamps and other supplies. Here are a couple of examples:

Use an sheet of paper in the bottom of each Suitcase to indicate stamp placement.

Small bottles of glitter, beads, and embossing powder.

Dozens of rolls of Washi tape.

Small tools store easily, cords won't tangle.

Each Suitcase is 8.5" x 11" x 1". You can store a variety of stamps (number varies based on size of stamps) in each box. Boxes can be stored either horizontal or vertical - allowing you to maximize your storage space. Retractable handles make it easy to carry your supplies from home to a crafting event.

Label the edge of each "suitcase" to create your library.

You'll love how easy it is to organize you stamps, glitters, tools and more with these little Stamp and Supply Suitcases.

Thanks for stopping by to see what's new!
Tif

Need some Stamp Suitcases to help organize your supplies - click here to learn more or shop.

School Year Mementos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 21:46:00 +0000

The Memento Keeper is the perfect solution.

The day after high school graduation my son presented me with his cap and gown, "Here mom, save this for me, would you?"

Hmm...along with this request there were stacks of graduation announcements, party invitations, end of the year award certificates, commencement programs, and all of the other things that come along with a graduation.
On yeah I forgot about the college application process; visiting schools, choosing a school - and all of the mementos that are created during that process, more cards, more letters, more photos and whatever fun little trinkets your university of choice has forwarded on to you to reassure you that you've made the right choice.

I was feeling overwhelmed and London had only been out of school for less than 24 hours.
I took a deep breath and thought, "how am I going to get all of these things together?" More importantly - how would I know which things would be important to London in the future?

SIMPLE ANSWER: I couldn't know - nor could London at this point. I would have to save it all.

So, I printed a few pictures from each college visit. I did the same from a couple of graduations parties, and the ceremony, gathered EVERYTHING up and organized it all in a Memento Keeper.
Wow, that was EASY.
(Click to enlarge photos.)

Memento Keeper with grad stickers and London's Photo

Inside cover, Photos, Announcements, Invitations, etc.

Center pages Awards (left), Cap AND Gown (right)

Back Cover Commencement Ceremony Mementos

Whether you've got a graduating student or a grade schooler that is just moving up, you'll find the Memento Keeper to be an easy way to Sort, Store and SHARE the school year mementos. Put you Memento Keepers on the shelf next to your family albums so you can enjoy them together.

Thanks for visiting with me!
Tif

Learn more about the Memento Keeper on our website - Click Here.

New Stamp Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 02:07:00 +0000

If you've got "woodies" you know how difficult they can be to sort, store, and FIND!
This new clear Stamp, Store and Go Bag is the perfect solution. Inside the bag is a lightweight plastic tray. The tray gives the bag integrity so your stamps stay flat.

This allows you to stand the bag up in your drawer, on a shelf or in a tote.

Bonus - this little bag works great for other supplies too.
Use your label maker to label the bag on the top and side. You'll be able to find what you need in a snap!

I'll be talking more about using this product for organizing your stamps at the Get Organized Challenge Class on February 25th, via Livestream - Learn More, click here.

Thanks for stopping by to see what's new!

Tif

Shop for your Stamp, Store, and Go Bag Now - Click Here.

New Page Design

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 22:50:00 +0000

The Vertical Four

The baby sister to our Vertical Double - if you've got lots of long narrow stuff you're going to love this page. I believe it will be the perfect place to store you 12" long Sizzlits dies.

These pockets are 12.5" long and 3" wide.

You'll go WILD over this combo!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 19:02:00 +0000

Limited Edition Combination - Classic Leopard and Red.

This Create and Carry Binder has a RED interior!!! It could only be better if it came with a feather boa.

Don't wait on this, like the Zebra last year, it will quickly be extinct. 2014 Limited Edition.

Feeling Bubbly?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 16:25:00 +0000

Doesn't this combo just make you feel bubbly?

This Create and Carry Binder has a fun blue dot center panel and a silver grey interior. The Crop Crate apron has solid light blue and dark blue panels.

Today's Color Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:59:00 +0000

Okay all you ladies who love Pink. This is going to be the combo for you!!!

This Create and Carry Binder (formerly the TravelPack) has a Turquoise blue interior. The Apron does have the Pink Floral fabric on the sides. We'll post many more pictures when these arrive.

Sneak Peek - Color #1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 18:01:00 +0000

We are so excited about the new colors and PATTERNS!!! Other than the Zebra Limited Edition we did last year, we've never done patterns. Our newest Create and Craft Binders (Formerly know as The TravelPack) will come in some fun new patterns. I'm sorry to say we don't have great pictures, as I'm working off what was sent to me from the factory. You can "Click to Enlarge" the images I've included.
We're pleased to present today's color - Black Floral. We don't have interior pictures, but the interior of this Create and Craft Binder is Turquoise Blue!!! FUN, FUN, FUN!!

Black of course is classic and timeless. It goes with everything. The new floral pattern adds a little extra style and "pop". The apron has the floral pattern on the side. I'm sorry you can't see the pattern from this image. We'll certainly add more images to the website when the products arrive.

The Crop Crate Apron - more images.

I talked about this on video yesterday, here are a few more pictures. Click to Enlarge.

Sneak Peek - New Products/Colors - Reveal 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 17:45:00 +0000

Hi All -
Thanks for waiting to find out what's new at The ScrapRack / Totally-Tiffany. (Learn about the branding change - click here.)
I know lots of you are anxious to find out about the Crop Crate Aprons, so that's what we're starting with. There are a couple of changes to the Apron. We've added a large pocket to the front that will easily hold your ATG, we've made the side pocket clear and gusseted so it will hold more stuff, and finally we moved the clear ID pocket to the back flap.

I know I'm kind of cheating by using the purple apron as the demo in this video, but that's the only sample they sent me.
Check back tomorrow and well start revealing the new TravelPack and Apron colors - one color a day for the next few days.
Thanks for stopping by,
Tif

Paper Organization - Challenge #2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 00:38:00 +0000

Today in the Get Organized Challenge broadcast we talked about Paper Storage and Organization. You may already know that I recommend the 4 Section System for general organization. With paper you only need to use 3 of the sections - Themes/Sentiments, Calendar Year and The Rainbow.
Sorting and organizing your paper is easier than it sounds. You just need a good system (the 4 Section System), Paper Storage Boxes and Dividers, a "purge box" and a couple of simple rules to follow:

Keep things together you would use together.
Combine and Conquer - size doesn't matter.
Don't over think it.

You should include all of your paper in the category where it belongs - Glitter, Vellum, Cork... whatever it is, put it with the correct theme, calendar month or color.
If you plan on keeping scraps, set a minimum scrap size - I recommend 12"x 6" - toss, give away or recycle anything that doesn't meet your minimum.
Do you have "pictureless" layouts that you created at a crop, class or some other event? Put those layouts into the correct section of your 4 Section System so you remember that you have them.

You'll have your stacks of paper sorted into your storage boxes in no time. Add those boxes to your shelving system and you're ready to craft. You'll be thrilled with how much you can get done when everything is at your finger tips. Want to learn more about Paper Organization? Watch today's Get Organized Challenge on our website, - Click here for access.

Thanks for stopping by,
Tif

New Products - Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 01:26:00 +0000

Because everyone doesn't Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.....we've decided to unveil each of our new products/colors here on my blog. Beginning Thursday, January 30th we'll post pictures and descriptions of our newest products and/or colors - one each day until we run out of colors or products.
If you're not already a blog follower you'll want to sign up now so you get a reminder when things are posted. You can also just book mark this page and check back each day.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you like our new goodies!!!
Tif

Rock Star - Big Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 17:51:00 +0000

Yesterday was the first day of the 2014 Resolve to Get Organized Challenge. (If you're unfamiliar with the challenge, you can click the link above and get the details on our website.) The first session of the GOC is always about setting yourself up for success and identifying what the Big Benefits will be. I wanted to share one very simple Big Benefit with you from my Burn the Ship Activity (see last week's post).
Several months ago a very close friend of mine won an award for being a Rock Star Real Estate Agent.  As a way to celebrate I came up with a cool idea that I knew she would love. I made a quick stop at Michael's and with the very best intentions I purchased what I would need to execute my plan.
In the madness that is life, (and the mess that was my studio), I ran out of time that day and the project got moved over, and moved over and moved over, then finally disappeared into the pile of well meaning supplies in my storage room.
  Half way through my "Burn the Ship" project, Voila!
That cool idea resurfaced and along with it all the supplies I had set aside to complete it. I used that little project as a way to motivate myself to push through the piles on my desk.
As soon as the organizing project was complete, I created the "Rock Star" you see here for my pal Heidi Hurst (who happens to be the best Realtor in the Puget Sound area - just in case you need one ;-) )
This was a simple project with just a few components, but because my studio was a mess, it got lost in the shuffle. The initial thrill I felt when buying the supplies, quickly evaporated and actually turned into a bit of stress each time the un-done project crossed my mind.
Once my studio was back together the project only took me about 30 minutes from set-up to clean up.
When Heidi found out that I was the one who left her the garden Rock Star it brought her to tears! And that my dear readers is a BIG BENEFIT!

Rock Star next to Heidi's front porch.

Burn The Ship!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 19:30:00 +0000

If you've never heard the "Burn the Ship" story, I'll summarize it very briefly here - a Spanish Conquistador wanting to insure his troops didn't leave without accomplishing their goal, is said to have "burned the ships" so the troops didn't have the option of going home. There is some discussion as to whether this story is true, but the message is a good one - don't allow yourself room to fail.
Two weeks ago I decided it was time to "Burn my photo and memorabilia ship." I had several boxes of photos, memorabilia, etc all piled up in a corner of my studio. When I initially brought the boxes out of the closet and stacked them in the corner, my thought was; I'll just work through them one at a time. Weeks, no months, later, they were still stacked in the corner. Looking at them was giving me hives. I knew I needed to use the studio to make videos the following Monday, that meant everything needed to be cleaned up, so.....Let the burning begin!!!

I emptied the boxes out into piles on my desk. I also set up a table behind my desk with some large plastic boxes. These would be used to store my photos chronologically once they were sorted. Next, I sorted the pictures by year. As I was going through the pictures and memorabilia I came across a lot of things that I wanted to keep, but that I wasn't actually going to scrap. These items went into the Big Book Box. The Big Book is a good old fashioned scrapbook.
Once I got through all of the pictures and memorabilia it was easy to put them in chronological order

and then file them in the storage boxes.
Up on the top shelf of the storage room they went.

Last thing...I put all of the Big Book Stuff into the Big Book.
Sweet! It took me all day, but Ahhhh it's done!

As a bonus, I found these really cool stickers, from an old camera, but they gave instructions in multiple languages. I put them into the Words of Wisdom section of my ScrapRack. (Click on them to make them larger.) As we approach the start of the 2014 Resolve to Get Organzied Challenge, what ships will you burn?

Thanks for stopping by today,

Tif

Think Simply - Organize Well

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 08:01:00 +0000

Teaching classes, answering emails, responding to online posts - in each of these arenas I regularly find that we try to "over think" the issue of organization.
For me organization can be boiled down into one simple concept - finding what I need, when I need it.
There are a few things that can put a "hitch in your get-a-long" when you're trying to find what you need, but the biggest one is what I call "Thoughtless Containerization."
What is Thoughtless Containerization?
This is a frequent occurrence in cupboards, closets and garages all over the country. Thoughtless Containerization (TC) occurs whenever you think "where should I put this?" and your brain responds - "I have no idea - just put it in a box in the garage and we'll worry about it later." Into the garage that item goes, never to be seen again.

In order to avoid TC and hours of hunting for the item when you want it again, take a moment to "Pause and Ponder." Ask yourself a couple of simple questions about the item you're storing.

When will I need this again?

Will I use it in conjunction with something else?
Will anyone else in my family/office need it before I do?

Once you've taken the time to ask these questions, your brain will go to work selecting the appropriate place to store the item.
It's like magic. Because you've taken a few moments to "think" about where the item is stored, you're brain has started forming a pattern for remembering. Reinforce that pattern, by telling yourself, verbally if possible - "I'm storing the (item name) in the (where ever). It's all about getting your brain to make the connections. If you've take my Get Organized Classes for crafting - the next one starts on the 21st of January - this is why the ideas in class work. We are connecting what we are storing to a theme, event, color, etc.

Give Pause and Ponder a try. You can do it with anything, not just things you are storing. Try it with your car keys or something else your regularly spend time looking for. Ask yourself a couple of questions, put the item down somewhere, reinforce it with a mental or verbal statement - let me know how it works for you.
Think Simply and Organize Well.

Thanks for stopping by today!
Tif

Need help organizing your craft supplies?
Join me for the 2014 Resolve to Get Organized Challenge. - Learn More

Get Organized in 2014 - Start with an Index card

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 08:30:00 +0000

As so many of you already know I believe that 90% of getting anything done is making it easy. Even difficult tasks can be broken down into easy steps.

If one of your goals this year is to be more organized and accomplish more, try reducing and simplifying your daily "to-do" list.

Reduce the size - switch from using a full sized sheet of paper to a small 3x5 index card.

If you choose to use the colored index cards it will be easier to find the card on your desktop, in your purse, briefcase, etc. For men, a small index card fits easily into your breast pocket. If it will fit in your phone case - even better!

Simplify - break your day down into - just 2 or 3 parts. For me, it's 2 parts, Before Lunch and After Lunch. Some people use morning (before 10) mid-day (10-2) and afternoon (2-EOD). Put the 2 or 3 most important things you need to get done on the list and nothing else.

Carry the card with you, put it on your computer keyboard, or your telephone, - each time you feel like you need to do something other than what is on your list, tell yourself, "I'll do it when my list is complete" and resist. Complete the list first, then do whatever you want to do.

The end result will be that the important things get done , and the things that are unimportant just evaporate. The majority of your day is most likely spent doing things that don't really matter in an attempt to avoid committing to what needs to get done. Once you commit and see the results, you'll be amazed at how much more productive you can be in so much less time.

Errands - YIKES
Running errands can suck up tons of time, cost you extra money and be the source of lots of frustration. Make regular errands a regular part of each day. Monday - Grocery, Tuesday - Dry Cleaning, Wednesday - Target.....etc.
On Sunday night create your index cards for the week, just put the date on the front, on the back put the errand list. As you think of things you need at the grocery or Target add them to the list. Once you get yourself into a routine you'll become a better planner - saving money and TIME!!!

Wishing you a peaceful and simple 2014,
Tiffany

Are you a crafter? We'll start our next Get Organized Challenge on January 21st. It's fun, it's Free and you'll feel FABULOUS once you get your craft supplies organized. Click here for details.

More about The Expedit System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Several questions popped up after my post yesterday.
Yes, you can store your ScrapRack Spinders in the Expedit, they can be stored standing up or laying flat. I have a couple of Spinders with extra pages on them that are in one of the cubes.

The Dividers are a little too large and will curl up on the edges if you try to cram them into a cube.

The Casters that are shown in yesterday's post are part of the system and designed to go on the cube system. IKEA only recommends using them with cubes that are 1 or 2 cubes high.

As far as I know, all of the IKEA stores carry the EXPEDIT System and it is available to order on line.

Thanks for reading today's post!

Tif

Expedit from IKEA - Perfect for Crafters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:31:00 +0000

This week I received several emails inquiring about the IKEA Expedit system. I thought I'd take a few minutes and share with you, what I love about it.
Expedit is a cube system. It comes in several different cube configurations - I love that!
I used the 5 high cube system, laid it on it's side, and added casters.
This was the perfect length to hold my double ScrapRack system and my Pazzles cutter - I love that!
The casters allow me to have my ScrapRack right next me, but when I need the cutter, I can just roll the shelf back and Voila! the Pazzles cutter is in easy reach - I love that!
The system is better made then most of the other "cube" systems out there - I love that!
It costs less than the lesser quality cubes too - I REALLY Love that! My 5 cube shelf was $59.99. If memory serves me correctly a single Jetmax cube is $29.99 - almost $150 for 5.
The Expedit cubes are approximately 13x13 which means there's plenty of room for my Paper Storage boxes - I love that!
So, what's not to love? I don't know, because quite honestly I love everything about this system.
See the Expedit system for yourself at IKEA - Click Here.

This is my 5 cube system tipped on it's side. It's a little bit messy at the moment, but it's so easy to use. I'm even able to fit 3 of our small craft cases in one cube.

Paper Organization - Scrapbooking, Cardmaking, Rubberstamping

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 03:54:00 +0000

As we get into summer, I'm going to do some mini-classes and combine them with a product special. Each week we will try to focus on one small aspect of organization and highlight the products that might best solve those problems.

This week we are revisiting Paper Organization. Its so easy to be overwhelmed by Paper. I've found in talking with people at the Scrapbook Shows and Conventions that we sometimes "overthink" organizing our paper. With paper, follow the same 4 Section System - actually only 3 sections because you can eliminate the Alpha-Numeric section - Themes, Calendar Year, and the Rainbow. If you haven't already created at Themes List, you'll need to do that first. If you need a little help, connect with our Get Organized Challenge Group on Facebook. You'll find lots of Themes Lists posted there. The video will take you through the rest of the process. I hope you find it helpful.

Down Load the Article to get step by step instructions. Click Here.
Shop our Weekly Special Now - Click Here The Paper Storage Combo Kit has everything you need to get started with Paper Organization. This week the kit is on sale for $62. You'll save $15.00.

Have questions? Please feel free to call or email us. CustomerService@TheScrapRack.com or 1-866-226-1311.

Thanks for stopping by,
Tif

Towel Toss Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:28:00 +0000

Last week my son went into the hall closet and grabbed a towel to take to school. It wasn't just any towel he was in search of, it was a "Finding Nemo" beach towel that has been in our family for, ohhhh, probably 10 years. This particular towel is a favorite towel not because of the adorable "Nemo," but because it is long and wide and SUPER thin. The "thin" factor translates to "easy to fit in a backpack" and "dries quickly." The towel went to school, came home and ended up in the laundry. You may think this isn't worth mentioning, but if you have teenage boys, you know that when something that was used for gym class makes it into the laundry before it becomes the source of eye-watering odor, it's nothing short of a miracle.
Fast forward to the towel getting washed, dried, folded and carried upstairs to be put away. When I opened the closet to return the "Nemo" towel to it's place on the shelf, I discovered that every towel in the closet had been disrupted, unfolded, wadded back up, and shoved into the closet. My initial reaction was to call forth my 15 year old son and task him with the job of returning the closet to it's normal order. However, as I looked into the closet I realized, I had towels that hadn't been used in the 3 years since we moved into this house. The idea for the Towel Toss was born!
When I moved into this house I started keeping all of the towels in a glass cabinet in the bathrooms - it easy to keep things neat when you have to "look" at them. I also started keeping all of the bed linens in the bedrooms where they would be used. This linen closet, was filled with things from the old house that I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to use in the new house. Well, 3 years later, I have the answer....and 3 garbage bags full of donations.
This week your goal is to visit the linen closets, towel cupboards, and drawers where your towels are stacked, stuffed, and stored - and throw away, donate, etc. at least 10 percent of your towel stash. If you haven't gone through all of your towels at the same time this goal will be easier than you think. Stained, Frayed, Ripped, Faded, Bleached.....these could all be reasons to move towels to your Goodwill box. It might help to decide how many towels you actually "Need" before you begin this process. I actually found that I had nearly 20 kitchen towels. Even during the Christmas baking season 20 is excessive for me. Another thing that might help you "purge" your excessive towels is to ask yourself - "Would I be embarrassed if a house guest used this towel?"
How to go about this Challenge:
Get a Garbage Bag and a Donate Bag
Set your purge goal.
Start at the towel storage area that is the "furthest out" in your home. (For some reason it's always easier to complete a task for me if I plan my route. At my house, I did - The Linen Closet, Kids Bathroom, Kitchen, then My Bathroom.)
Remove all of the towels from the closet, cupboard, drawer, etc.
Anything that doesn't meet your criteria for condition gets put into the Donation or Garbage bag depending on the condition.
If you find that you're "stuffing" towels into their assigned spaces, (as I was with kitchen towels), you may need to re-evaluate your purge plan/goal and increase it.

Refold, restack and then replace the towels where they belong.
Load the donate bag into your car.
Deliver it to the closest donation station.

Congratulate yourself on a job well done and celebrate with a treat on the way home - DQ Blizzard, Starbucks Salted Carmel Latte, maybe even a pedicure.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Please feel free to share your comments about this challenge. I'd love to hear from you!
Tif

Purge Patrol - Love it more when you have less!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:50:00 +0000

If the very idea of eliminating something that is still useful induces nausea or gives you hives, rest assured you’re not alone. There are many reasons we have trouble getting rid of “stuff”:

1. We’ve attached to that stuff/thing “emotionally”.

2. We don’t want to be wasteful - financially, ecologically, or just generally .

3. We have a huge fear that at some point this particular item might be “PERFECT” and if we throw it away now we could be jeopardizing some major crafting success in the future.

Before you can address these concerns, you have to first identify your goals in getting organized. Identifying your goals will result in a huge increase in your “Want” Power.
Keep your goal simple – one or two sentences at the most, i.e.; “I want to be more organized so I can spend more time crafting – less time digging and searching for supplies.” “I want to be able to get 10 pages done in a weekend; that will feel great, I’ll be the envy of all my friends, my husband will be so proud of me...” Commit your simple goal to memory and/or write it down and post it where you can see it regularly.
The simple truth is; the more you have, the longer it takes to find what you need. Many times, this translates to: using what’s closest/easiest. This isn’t only true in your craft supplies, it’s true all over your home/life. If you have 6 sets of sheets, you probably take the set off the top of the pile, when you remake your bed. If you have a pile of 20 T-Shirts, you probably wear one of the first 3-4. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the male world. My sons would prefer to; go down to the laundry room, pull the top shirt off their laundry pile, put it on and head to school rather than carrying the pile upstairs and putting their laundry away – “they’re just going to end up on top of the dryer again in a day or two mom, why do we need to do the extra steps?” (Let me apologize to their future wives now – I’m doing the best I can.)
Now that we’ve got the backstory, let’s move on .
If your goals are driving you to become more organized, there’s a significant chance that you need to rid yourself of some “stuff.” If you don’t think there is anything in your craft supply collection that you can live without, stop reading here and start crafting!
For the rest of you – follow these easy steps.

ü Create a purge box. (I use a paper storage box because it is tall and narrow)

ü Identify a final resting place for your “purge.” (I give to the local Children’s Hospital)

ü Put the box somewhere that is EASILY ACCESSIBLE. (Mine is under my desk next to the trash can – always within arm’s reach.)

Let’s go back and revisit the reasons we have trouble getting rid of stuff.

1. Emotionally attached – you’ll be able to remedy this “attachment” by using emotional transference. Choose a person, group, charity that will appreciate the items as much as you do. This makes it far easier to let them go. In my case the Children’s Hospital where my youngest son spent the first 2 weeks of his life.

2. Wastefulness – The money has already been spent, if I may be so bold as to say, the money has already been “wasted.” Keeping products around that you won’t use, is now creating additional waste; Your Space, Your Time, and Your Energy…are just a couple of examples. In the right hands or in the right can, these products will no longer be “wasting” stuff. If money is your biggest concern, bag these items up and sell them by the pound on ebay, or simply take the tax deduction for donating them to your favorite charity.

3. Future Crafting Success – what about your crafting success in the present? If you’re not getting things done because you’re too busy “searching” through things you don’t need, to find the things you want to use – you’re sacrificing sure success today, for possible success in the future – does that make any sense? No.

Let the Purging begin!
Whether you’re doing a major “Organization Project” like the Get Organized Challenge, or you’re just hoping to implement better systems as you move forward, the Purge box will aid your success. As you come across products in your supply collection you’ll have a variety of different reactions:
“Wow, this is outdated.” – Easy to put into your purge box.
“Gee this is ugly – I wonder what motivated me to buy it?” – Into the Purge Box.
“What would I ever use this for?” – If you’ve got an answer put it into the correct section of your 4 Section System, if there’s no answer, you guessed it – Purge Box.

As you work in your craft area, every time you put your hands on something, ask yourself – “What would I use this for?” Then put it away or Purge it away. If you get really stuck you can enlist your “Want Power” by asking yourself - “How will keeping this item move me closer to my goal?, Move me closer to what I WANT?”

Good Luck and Please let me know how your Purging Progresses!
Post on our Facebook Page – click here
Email me at: CustomerService@TheScrapRack.com with Purge Progress in the Subject line.
Thanks for stopping by,
Tif

The World Wide Sock Sort

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 03:32:00 +0000

I was going to call this challenge the “Great American Sock Sort” but then I realized we have readers all over the world, so the World Wide Sock Sort it is – this we’re thinking globally, but acting locally – right in our own bedrooms.

The goal this week is to eliminate any socks that are un-wearable, (holes and such) any socks that are lonely (missing mates), socks that are too small, too big, too ugly,…..etc., and to arrange the socks you have into an easily accessible organizer.

What you’ll need:
A garbage bag
A donate bag
Possible gas mask – if you have teenage boys
At least one sock organizer per dresser – maybe more
Time: 20-30 minutes

What is a Sock Organizer?

A Sock Organizer can be anything you’ll use to keep your socks in place in the drawer. You can buy then everywhere from the Wal-Mart to Ikea. You can also use things you may already have around your home like regular shoe boxes. The depth of your drawers might dictate the right sorter for you. I’m a bigger advocate of the things that are rectangular in shape than the diamond shape type of organizer. I just think it is “easier” to fill the rectangle or square more efficiently than the diamond.

Step 1 - Do all the laundry.

This is important because you want to be confident that all of the socks have been washed and are in the correct rooms.

Step 2 – Plan your route

I started in the laundry room. I took the sock basket, which had a few strays after doing the laundry, and headed into the furthest away bedroom. I love moving around on a “mission” and having a route feels that way. Plus if you stay the course, you’ll leave a completed room behind. Ahhhh, nice.

Step 3 – Empty the drawer

Its quick work to empty a sock drawer and determine what is “wearable” – the unwearables go into the garbage bag. The old Baseball socks, Soccer socks, etc. that have been hanging around my kids drawers since grade school went into the “donate” bag. Other items that joined them in the donate bag were “gift socks”. You know these types of socks, the colors, textures, fabrics, prints, designs….etc. that are just not your style – but they were a gift of some sort and you felt obligated to keep them – DONATE!!!

The donate bag should also be the lucky recipient of gift socks that you love, but you’ve NEVER, and most likely will never, wear. If you were given a pair of pink socks with Bling around the cuff, 5 years ago, and you think they’re adorable, but they just aren’t “you” – but you’re torn because you love them and your favorite aunt sent them to you, and blah, blah, blah – either donate them or “re-gift” them to someone who will wear them.

If you’re having trouble, try to think about how much easier it will be to find the socks you want to wear when you don’t have to dig past the socks you’ll never wear. Think about how much easier it will be to put the laundry away when you don’t have to constantly rearrange things you don’t wear.

As you sort through, pull out the wearables, and set them aside. It will be fastest and easiest to reload the drawer if you can start with empty.


Empty the drawer.	Holey socks go in the garbage.

Step 4 – Organize

Socks definitely come in different styles and have different uses. Just like other things, you want to keep things together that go together. Short gym socks, long gym socks, hiking socks, dress socks….etc. The nice thing about things you wear constantly - gym socks or black dress socks, is that they can be “stacked” . Stacking is the most space efficient way to store socks, it’s very visible, accessible and doesn’t add any wear and tear to the elastic in the sock.

“To ball or not to ball” – I’m not an advocate of “sock balling”. Besides that fact that it takes up more space, things like holes, stains, and mis-matches are often concealed when socks are in a ball. I’m a folder. Besides the other things mentioned about balling, when you fold your socks, you always get the matching length – for some women it’s knee highs, for men it’s dress socks, for me it’s hiking socks. These types of socks all look the same, yet come in different lengths. Folding them insures that they are perfectly matched with their mate of length (did I mention I’m a little obsessive.)

Step 5 – Set some limits
This sounds a little bit silly, “Set your sock limit.” Keep in mind that the reason you want to be more organized is so that your life is easier, less frustrating, not overwhelming, faster, more efficient, etc. Whatever your reason(s), and you may have others – when you have too much, when you have more than you need (this is individually relative), you won’t meet that goal. Ask yourself, how many pairs of gym socks do you need? If you wear one pair a day to work out, and you do laundry twice a week, you could probably be happy with 4 pairs of gym socks, keep 7 to be safe. This will make it even easier to “thin the sock herd.” Define the amount of space, the number of socks, etc. For me – I limit my regular wear socks to one Ikea sorter. “Special socks” like ski socks are stored with the things I use them with, i.e. my ski pants, jacket, hat, and socks are all stored together.
Step 6 – Put your socks away

Before you start refilling your sock drawer, think first about which socks you use all the time. Which socks you use less frequently. Be sure you are putting the most used socks in the easiest to access, and easiest to reload location in your sock drawer.

Shoe boxes make execellent sock sorters if your drawers are deep enough.

Back to Basics - Why you need a 4 Section System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:46:00 +0000

What better place to start than at the beginning. The key to being organized is having a system that is easy to use, easy to remember and easy to stick with. Think about your system as a foundation – it’s the thing that gives stability, ensures longevity, and provides security. Many of us have started an organization task based on a specific storage container or space without ever considering a “system” for organizing. In these situations what we’re actually is doing is “storing” or “containerizing”, we’re not actually organizing. To be organized you must; Function within a formal structure (a system), leave nothing out (take into consideration all the parts, pieces and uses) be efficient in arrangement and function.

or·gan·ized:

1. Functioning within a formal structure

2. Formed into a structured or coherent whole.

3. Methodical and efficient in arrangement or function.

Since my goal with this email format is to keep the information short, easy to read and understand in small pieces, today I’m only going to tackle the first part of the definition – “Functioning within a Formal Structure”.

The formal structure we use for organizing our craft supplies is called the 4 Section System; a simple name for a very formal structure. Don’t be afraid - formal doesn’t mean difficult. In fact, in this circumstance the formality of the system makes things very simple.

Think of organizing your supplies into these 4 major categories:

Alphabets, Numbers and Punctuation Marks
Themes and Sentiments A-Z
The Calendar Year
The Rainbow

These are large categories that will encompass a huge variety of products and ideas but at the same time they are very simple, which makes it very easy for your brain to connect to them. Let’s talk a minute about how the brain works. Your brain stores information by the spider web method, which means that one thing connects to another thing (or maybe several other things) to get you the information you need.

As an example – you walk by a restaurant and smell something delicious. Your brain spider webs around trying to define that smell: you remember it from being a kid – you remember your mom putting big dollops of sour cream in it - Ah… Beef Stroganoff! You may or may not realize the route your brain has taken to get you to the answer, you just know you’ve got the answer. After reading this, and maybe listening to me harp on you about “thinking about thinking”, you may become far more aware of what your brain is doing - and that’s a good thing. Thinking requires practice just like playing the piano or doing algebra. People who play the piano, do algebra, or speak French reach a certain level of expertise when all of those things become very natural to them. They do it without thought – it’s a “thoughtless” exercise. Most of us who don’t play the piano, speak French or do algebra think that these people are amazing as they are. But there’s another level of pianists, French linguists, and mathematicians who consciously “think” about their skills. These people are constantly improving their systems through the process of “thought.”

If we organize by what comes without thinking, we tend to “containerize” rather than “organize.” This is what happens when we just put things in a box on the shelf without “thinking” about:

How will I remember what’s in this box?

How will I get things out of the box?

How easy will it be to put things back in the box?

How easy will it be to direct someone else to the box?

How easy will it be to take the things that are in the box to a crop or class?

Etc., Etc.

Do these questions seem overwhelming and exhausting? When you have a good system in place that addresses them, they’re answered without being asked because you’ve already thought about them.

That is the beautiful thing about the 4 Section System: the questions are answered. So let’s talk about each section in detail and address some of the common and not-so-common questions that come up.

Section 1 – Alphabets, numbers and punctuation marks

This is the place to sort, organize and store all of your alphabet stuff that isn’t theme or sentiment specific. It doesn’t matter what type of product it is, if it’s alpha numeric and not theme specific you’re going to find a way to store it (or a representation of it) in this section.

Because this section is about letters and words, I think about it as a whole – anything that relates to non-specific letters and words. This means things like Journaling Templates or Title Templates, Journaling Stamps, etc. are also going to be represented in this section. If you’ve got Titletopia from Creative Memories, this is the section where it belongs.

Common questions:

Should I group my alphabets by color in this section? No, group your alphas by size. This will make it easy to find the size you need quickly and easily. It will really help when you’re trying to spell something out, but the particular color you want doesn’t have all of the letters you need. Having your alphas grouped by size will make it easy to see that you’ve got the same font in a different color.

Should I separate my chipboard type letters and put all of the “a’s, b’s, c’s together? Yes and No. I prefer to keep my chipboard type letters together by type and size - again, that makes it easier to know what I’ve got in that particular size category. With that said, I will separate abc, def, ghi, etc. - into individual pockets.

Section 2 – Themes and Sentiments A-Z

Baby, Birthday, Camping, Family, Graduation, Outdoors, Retirement…..All of these categories belong in your second section. The categories are based on what YOU scrap/craft about – everyone’s will be different. Put them in alphabetical order so they are easy to find, easy to use, easy to put away, and easy to add new items! Are you seeing a pattern – EASY is important when things are easy we get them done

Common Question:

Should I combine my cardmaking, mixed media and scrapbooking supplies all in one system? – YES!!!! All of these things can be used in all of these crafts. No matter what type of craft you are doing, you are always working with a particular idea in mind. If you’re making a birthday page, a birthday card, a birthday gift bag, or a birthday canvas – you’re going to find all of the supplies for that particular project in one place – Birthday.

Section 3 – The Calendar Year

January, February, March…Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall… you can use either or a mix of both in The Calendar Year Section. Grouping products together by month or season is really helpful when it comes to maximizing your use of seasonal products.

Common Question:

Why do I need a Calendar Year Section? Why can’t I just put Halloween under “H”, Thanksgiving under “T” and Autumn under “A” (or Fall under “F”) – then I could eliminate this whole section?

In order to get the most use out of your supplies, it’s important to keep things together that could be used together. If you separate Halloween from Fall and Thanksgiving, you’ll have to look in multiple places to find things like leaves and pumpkins that could work on any of those pages or projects.

Section 4 – The Rainbow

ROY G. BIV and then some. This section is the perfect place to store everything from Eyelets to Flowers. This is where you’ll store anything that doesn’t fit into one of the first 3 sections. These things will get grouped together by color - YIKES! Does the idea of storing your flowers in the same container as your glitter, and your ribbons in the same container as your bottle caps, give you hives or make you nauseous? I’m here to tell you nothing horrible will happen when you let your embellishments mingle. In fact, you’ll be delighted with the outcome. There are 3 really great things that happen when you store your embellishments by color.

1. You can find what you’re looking for so much more quickly. Need a blue brad? Flip to the Blue section and Bam – there it is.

2. You’ll use more of your products, but you’ll also use more of your knowledge. Look back through your scrapbooks, cards or other projects. You’ll find that your projects reflect the most recent technique or product type you’ve learned to use. They reflect whatever is easiest to grab on your workspace, which is usually the newest thing. Have you ever heard Jerry Seinfeld talk about the stages of garbage? Well, there are stages of craft supplies too.

3. Lastly, you’ll become a better designer. Instead of thinking this page needs a “blue brad” you’ll begin to think differently – “This page needs something blue and textured.” Flipping to the blue section will inspire you to use more in different ways.

Common Questions:

Who is ROY G. BIV? Roy is an acronym that represents the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

What about other colors? You will definitely need more colors in your Rainbow section than the basic Rainbow colors. Most likely you’ll want to add Black, White, Browns/Neutrals, and Metallics.

Finding the Will Power to get Organized

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Being organized, Getting organized, and Staying organized, have so much to do with finding time and motivation. In the hectic world we live in extra time is very difficult to come by and staying energized at the end of a busy day for an organization task can be less than motivating.

If you’ve taken any of my online classes or you’ve come to see me speak live, you know I’m constantly talking about your brain and the power it wields in your organization process.

Since we just concluded the first “Get OrganizedChallenge” of the year, I thought this would be a good time to share with you my latest, greatest find in motivation; The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Ph. D.

This book does an excellent job explaining how willpower works and the importance of not only “will” power, but also the importance of “want” power, and “won’t” power. It’s always easier to follow through on something when you have better understanding and this book was an eye-opener.

The Willpower Instinct uses humor, history, and entertaining anecdotes to explain what is happening in your mind that either aides or impedes your success.

One of the best parts of the book are the “Experiments” at the end of each chapter. These small tasks give you the step-by-step instructions for putting your new knowledge to work. I initially purchased this book on Audible so I could listen while I was walking. After completing the listening I purchased the hard copy so I would have continued and easy access to the “experiments.”

What would I recommend for you? If you have a hard time finding time to read, I would certainly recommend the Audible Version. It’s better to at least “hear” the information than it is to buy the book and have it collect dust on your nightstand. Truthfully I do this regularly; listen on Audible and then buy the book. It’s kind of a good “test” for me. If I listen and then continually go back to try and find the “to-do” part of a book, I know I’ll use it, so I’m okay with buying the hard copy. I usually visit the Half Price Books Store in Tacoma before buy a brand new copy. You can of course purchase new and used editions on Amazon.
Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Tif