The Monthly Organizer, Issue #030 -- February 2009

One of the questions that I have been asked a lot since launching Tips to Organize Life is...How can I get a handle on all of the paper that is taking over my home? This month I am focusing on the answers to that question.

I am adding a new section to Tips to Organize Life....Organize Your Documents. In this section you will find ways to...

...and so much more! There will be more information added to this section over the next week or two, so check back often!

If you haven't subscribed to my RSS feed, this is a great way to stay informed about all the new information that is added. You can find out more about my RSS feed and subscribe by clicking the "What is an RSS feed?" link located inside the green box right underneath the navigation buttons on the left side of any page on Tips to Organize Life.

This month, The Monthly Organizer is keeping with the theme of getting your paper clutter under control. Each section below is dedicated, in some way, to paper clutter.

Monthly Motivation

Your motiviation for clearing your paper clutter has to be a very personal thing. It will be different for everyone.

Maybe you want to reclaim your kitchen table so your family can actually sit down and enjoy a meal together.

Maybe you want to find the top of your desk so you can be more productive in your home office.

Maybe you want to stop causing embarrassment to your children when they constantly have to tell their teacher that their homework got lost in a big mess at home.

Pick a reason to get your houshold documents under control. Make it a meaningful reason...one that will really change your life and make you feel better. When you have decided on your personal reason, write it down and put it on your fridge as a constant reminder to achieve your organization goal this month!

Monthly Organization Tip

Here is a great way to get started with your paper organization and see instant results...

Get yourself several boxes and label each one according to the different categories of papers you need to organize: Monthly bills, Vital records, School papers, etc. Next, gather up all of the paper piles throughout your home and do a quick sort, placing the papers in their respective boxes. This should take you no more than 30 minutes. Do not attempt to organize the papers in any way...just toss them in the proper box.

Next, start with one box at a time and develop your system for keeping that category of papers organized. Sort through each box and file the papers as necessary, working in whatever pockets of time you have available.

This method will show you to instantly see how nice your home can look without all of those piles laying around. Dealing with one box at at time will keep you from becoming overwhelmed. In addition, if you get side-tracked or need to stop mid-project, your papers will stay put in their respective boxes until you are ready to do more.

Monthly Money Saving Tip

Did you know that the simple fact of being organized can save you money? Well, it's true. Have you ever been late paying a bill just because you forgot about it? You probably didn't even realize that you had forgotten to pay it until you were frantically rifling through that pile of papers on your kitchen table looking for the note from your son's teacher that you fogot to sign, when you stumbled across the credit card bill that was due last week. Now you have to pay a late fee.

If this sounds like your life, you need to set aside time to organize your household documents. If you take the time to organize your paper piles, including your bills, you will never be late on a payment again because you will always be able to find the bills that need to be paid. No more interest. No more late fees. No more bank overdraft charges because you didn't reconcile your bank account since you couldn't find all of your receipts.

And don't forget about checks that can get lost in those piles of paper too. If you have ever stumbled across a check that has been lost for so long that it has expired, keeping your paper piles under control will not only save you money, it will make you money because you will actually be able to cash those checks instead of just thinking about how nice it would have been to have had that money when you really could have used it.

Recipe of the Month

I guess I must really have the theme of paper organization on my mind because when I started to think about what recipe to include in this month's issue, the first thing that popped into my head were those "paper"-thin slices of smoked salmon that I love so much.

This recipe is perfect for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner and it is super simple to make...which will be a welcomed relief after all the time you have spent organizing those paper piles this month!

Pasta With Paper-Thin Salmon

Ingredients:

1 lb. thin egg noodles
6 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
8 oz. paper-thin smoked salmon, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Season the boiling water heavily with salt. Add egg noodles and cook according to package directions.

Drain the noodles, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Do not rinse the noodles. Transfer the noodles to a large mixing bowl. Add extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat well.

Add the remaining ingredients. Season with salt pepper, to taste. If necessary, add the reserved cooking liquid, small amounts at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Monthly Entertaining Tip

If you are planning to entertain this month, here's a great way for you to plan a fun evening with a fantastic menu and get organized at the same time! You know that cabinet, drawer or box you have that is stuffed full of recipes you have torn out of magazines, copied from friends or printed off the internet? Make it a project this month to get it organized.

Get yourself some beautiful recipe cards. Pick out some that you really love. Then sit down with a cup of coffee or your favorite soft drink and start sorting through the mess of papers with all of those recipes that must have inspired you, or you wouldn't have saved them. Copy each recipe onto one of your new, beautiful recipe cards and file it away in your recipe box.

As you are doing this, set aside the recipe cards for some of those great new recipes that would be perfect for a special evening you are planning this month. Maybe you will make a special Valentine's Day dinner for your sweetie, or maybe you are planning a dinner with some friends. Whatever the occassion, make it even more special with those recipes that sounded so great, but you forgot you even had!