Last year, I attempted to organize my cards during the conferences. I made two major changes to my routine. Rather than thanking people for their cards and shoving them in my pocket or bag, to be lost and forgotten, I came up with a system:

1. I carried 3 different colored Sharpies  in my bag and labeled the cards;
2. Next, rather than shoving the cards into the bottom of my bag, I added them to a plastic baggie for safe storage.

The Sharpie Business Card System

Prior to the conference, I purchased three different color Sharpies, each color representing a category:

• Pink – Blogger to connect with later
• Turquoise – Marketing representative
• Green – Other, such as company representative, social media guru, etc.

If the business card stated everything I needed to know, I’d simply draw a dot in the proper color on the card and place the card in my bag. However, many ageny cards do not list the brand a marketer works with (something I learned the hard way at Mom 2.0, when I collected dozens of cards from the same agency, without noting who they represented). On those cards I wrote, in turquoise, relevant information such as the brand, a very brief reminder of our conversation, or our plans to follow up.

Pink and green categories follow similar suit. There were some bloggers who I met that I wanted to connect with later for whatever reason. On those cards, in pink, I noted the reason. Other bloggers or contacts I felt would be perfect for future Splash Creative Media campaigns, so I jotted a note to remind me.

With all the cards protected in the same baggie, they traveled home with me safe, not lost, torn, or wrinkled.

Upon returning from the conference, I divided the cards by color category and filed them with the notes attached.

This system allows me to instantly remember the important connections I made with the hundreds of people I meet.

Other conference-goers use other means to collect business cards. Here’s my old business card organization system, which may work for you, and another blogger’s very creative organization system.

Of course, not everyone is as organized as you and I. So help them along by creating a business cards at Tiny Prints that includes all of your relevant information. (Check out the cards that allow for images. Including your picture helps others to remember your conversation.) Thanks to Tiny Prints for sponsoring this post.

© 2012, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Ideally, I’d clean out my medicine cabinet at time changes, but the must-do daylight savings list is already so long that scheduling even more into that packed day just makes it less likely for me to actually get things done. In hopes of making this practice more on schedule, I just added medicine cabinet to my calendar on twice a year on repeats: October 4 and April 4 (random dates, really. But consistent.)

We have a very narrow cabinet in our kitchen reserved for every day medical needs like Bandaids and Tylenol

Cleaning my cabinet, I found bottles that expired mostly within the past year and tossed all of those. I also decided it was about time to trash the majority of our take of sample product from department stores, hotel-sized toiletries and unused swag from blogging events. I also consolidated things like bandaids into fewer boxes.

upstairs, we use a linen closet as our medicine cabinet

I added the new products – like the Vicks which I haven’t had an opportunity to try yet, but I’m glad they’re on hand… I figure it’s only a matter of time until I’d be rushing to the store with the kids and their runny noses and sore throats in tow.  (UPDATED: I wrote this post last week. Ironically, guess who opened the bottle of Vicks Nature Fusion Nyquil last night? Thought the timing was worth noting. For the record, it went down smoothly. And I slept… until a 6-year-old woke me at 4 am.)

Medicine Cabinet Cleaning Checklist:

• Add clean medicine cabinet to your calendar on an annual repeat;
• Have the following itemes ready: trash can, table, empty cardboard box, 3 or more clear shoe box size containers (or could be a different size, measure your cabinet or closet area first), notepaper and pen, labels or label maker;
• Empty all items onto an open table with trash can within reachable distance and an empty box nearby;
• Sort items into 3 sections: expired, never used/never will use, use rarely/use often, making note of what expired items need to be replaced;
• Dispose of all expired products. Health and Wellness Magazine offers a detailed description of how to dispose of your medications.
• place all never-used products in cardboard box for donation to a homeless shelter or a local home for battered or at-risk women.
• Separate the final section further into: use often, use rarely, emergency;
• Consolidate your items when possible, such as putting all bandaids into one box;
• Placing like with like, place cabinet items into clear boxes, label and place into your closet with labels facing outward

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

In the meantime, I heard about IKEA’s The Share Space and was inspired to work on my kitchen storage challenges, come up with some solutions and share them on Just Precious and their pages as well.

Some of my kitchen storage challenges:

the unsafe drawer: knives and candles and matches

junk drawer? well, we keep a little bit of this and a little bit of that here

this one is the biggest, most embarrassing eyesore area

I ventured to IKEA a few days ago for ideas that will make a difference in my kitchen. Usually when I go to IKEA I have thoughts and ideas that are too big for real shopping, I get lost with so many goals and so many options. This time, knowing that my goal was kitchen storage, it was easier.

While I fell in love with the pullout cabinets, sadly, that’s beyond our budget.

While there, I realized that out of all of our little kitchen storage woes, we had one big one that really needed help. Our 2nd pantry closet had a full shelving unit that fell over last the summer. We salvaged most of our items and substituted with big, ugly shelves that were too bulky and in-conducive to kitchen storage. We’ve put up with these shelves for the time being, but while perusing IKEA, I found the perfect solution.

Once I found the AKURUM  kitchen storage solutions, my whole plan became clear. Because I hadn’t prepared to work this area, I took pictures and got information for what I need to create a new cabinet inside my pantry closet. I needed to go home and measure the specifics before I could make big purchases.

In the meantime, I wandered through IKEA, opening every drawer and cabinet I could find. I found a few small solutions that I scooped up right then because I could totally see them working for me.

I’m a visual person, so being able to see fully operational kitchen layouts like they have at IKEA really makes a difference for me. Here’s one of my favorite kitchens:

In the next few weeks, I’ll update you more on the changes in my kitchen, including pictures of my new IKEA pantry that I’ll also be sharing on The Share Space.

Thanks to Technorati Media and IKEA for sponsoring this post. I have been given a $1000 IKEA gift card to complete this part of my project.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Schedule before planning

Before I meal plan each week, I always take out my calendar and bug my husband to go over our schedules for the week. For example, this week, before meal planning, we realized that Monday night we wouldn’t be home for dinner, so we’re having “sninner” (snack-dinner) and then munching on chicken fingers while driving from one stop to another. On Friday, Big will play his first football game of the season, and while game time is TBA, we’re making adjustments for that. My husband also won’t be home for dinner one night this week, so I’m making sure that that dinner is a lower-stress meal–in other words, one that I can make at-ease without the hope that he’ll be home as I finish preparing.

Patterns

But just as important as scheduling is learning a family pattern. My husband is rarely home before we sit down for dinner. Usually he walks in as we’re washing hands and sitting down. At least one night a week, often more, we’ve eaten half or all of our meal before he gets home. It’s the nature of our family–he has a long commute and a lot of responsibility. I recognize the nights that, traditionally, he’s less likely to be home in time for dinner and make sure that those dinners are easier to prepare. On the nights that he’s likely to be home even a half hour earlier I’ll try to make a meal that’s a little more exciting for our family and a little more hands-on for me.

Leftovers

Always make room for leftovers. I do this for two reasons:

1. Less waste. It’s a horrible feeling to have to toss food that you slaved over. Or even food that cooked in seconds. By planning at least one leftover meal a week, you’re sure to throw out less healthy food.
2. It makes your week more shiftable. This is especially helpful when you shop only once a week and don’t want to throw away food that you don’t use. If you allow for one or two leftover nights and you need to skip cooking one night due to an unexpected… whatever, you have another night in your plan when you can make the meal.

Each family has its own patterns. Watch your family. Pay attention. Learn the patterns and learn to plan accordingly. And be prepared. It will take time.

Meal plan for this week:

Monday: Sninner of frozen pizza and chicken fingers with veggie dips as we drive from stop to stop to stop.
Tuesday:  Slow Cooker beef bourbuignonne 
Wednesday: Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Salmon Sliders on the grill with Wedge salads (yes, my whole family loves wedges. You should try it. SO simple!)
Weekend: Steak with Chickpeas, tomatoes and feta 

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

I set aside a few hours, grabbed a funky binder, like those from Carolina Pad, and tore out every good recipe from all of the magazines. Then, I organized them by season, because I like to cook with seasonal foods, and plan my menus that way.

After hole-punching, I added in a few tabs, namely winter, spring, summer and fall, and placed them all into the binder. Next I added a few clear sheet protectors to hold small recipe cards.

Finally, I placed a supply pouch (check out these awesome Post-It Pockets I found at Blogher) at the front and loaded it with skinny post-it notes.

Now, when I’m meal-planning, I mark my cookbook with post-its as I plan, so that it’s easy to find the recipe for each day. I can also pull out recipes that turn out to be “fails” for our family and add more favorites with ease.

Bonus! I gained space for other items in my cabinet!

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

1. Keep a calendar. In the past, I used a momAgenda Desktop Planner , and it was fantastic. Each child had a section for his or her events and appointments. And I loved how the week was spread out in front of you. Last year, however, I switched to Google calendars through my smartphone (which became my not-so-smart-phone). I’m the kind of person who would leave her Desktop Planner on the kitchen counter or in my car when I needed to have it with me when I made an appointment or was invited to a party. I never leave  my phone in the car or on my kitchen counter, so switching worked best for me. Whether you’re a pen-and-paper-girl or an internet calendar girl, pick one and stick to it. Record everything in there.
2. Dedicate your hour. Carve about an hour out of your week, once a week and plan to repeat the next steps every single week. Explain it to your husband or your kids that that hour is your organization hour, so that they all know that you need the time. You’ll find that as you practice and become more adept at weekly organization, your hour will shrink to 20-30 minutes. But don’t let go of your hour–use it for me time!
3. Settle in. Get all the supplies you need for your hour. I use a pencil, a cookbook (mine is a collection of recipes from magazines in a binder), and my computer. If you’re a paper-and-pencil-girl, grab your calendar. Spread out across your table.
4. Create a weekly calendar. I use MomAgenda’s Weekly Family Planner, which is magnetic and sticks to my refrigerator. Sort through your calendar and record all of your plans, as well as your children’s. Stop your husband (or text him, if need be) and ask what his plans are for the week so you can record those, too.
5. Create your menu. If you’ve never meal-planned before, this is your chance to start another great habit. Here’s a post describing how to meal plan. It really helps to have your calendar completed before you plan for your week of meals. You can always find meal plans on awesome websites (hint hint… like mine) or you can learn to create your own from your favorite cookbooks, cooking websites, apps (I love icookbook) or magazines (Real Simple and Rachael Ray both have great compilations for meal planning for families.)
6. Create your grocery list. Now that you have your menu plan, it’s easy to just grab ingredients off your recipes and list them.  It helps to create it by the grocery store aisle. Then, go through your refrigerator and pantry, crossing things off the list that you don’t need, and adding any staples you do have. Remember to check your ongoing list of things you run out of from your fridge and add those items to the list as well.
7. Breathe. Your week is organized! Next it will be time to organize your kids!

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Having a routine was easy. Keeping a seven-year-old focused to complete the routine, not so simple.

My husband and I were pleased with the results of this checklist. And my son felt accomplished. He liked having his tasks visually infront of him, and he loved crossing off what he had finished. But I didn’t like writing the list twice a day. So, I asked around and @KimThien shared VistaPrint’s Sticky Notes: custom printed for our needs. I created two separate lists, had 4 pads of each printed, and they were here within a week.

We’ve been using the sticky note checklists for about 2 weeks now and our morning and evening routines are much more calm. Rather than asking if each thing on the list has been completed, I now simply say, did you complete your list?

And, with a smile each time, he responds that he did.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

GameChanger shares the game with those who can’t be there. You input your team’s players and record hits, bases, plays… the whole game. Family and friends can pull up the games on apps on their smartphones or on the internet (the web interface is a fantastic bonus to this app.) So whether Grandpa is in the airport, Aunt Lilly is on the beach or Daddy is stuck in the office, everyone can be a part of the game.

Another bonus, the app can also be used for data entry for coaches. Might clipboards, scorebooks and pencils be a thing of the past?

Watch this video for more information. GameChanger is available for iphone, ipad, ipod, Android, Blackberry and others.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Want this kind of clarity? Measure your spaces. Get rid of old things, and store items you don’t use regularly (within 3 weeks) in a not as necessary area, like high in a cabinet or in a basement closet. Next, sort like with like and determine about how many containers you’ll need. This will make your organization logical. I found shoebox size rubbermaid boxes are easiest for storage of my baking items.

This system has been working really well for me, especially for small items stored really high. Today, when I needed sprinkles to put on cookies, I reached right for that container and was able to get to what I needed, without jumping around and knocking things over.

I also have a really narrow, awkward cabinet that I use as a medicine cabinet. Because the cabinets are so deep, it was easy to lose things in the back. Also, the small items would topple and fall, especially when I was trying to get to a bottle or item that hadn’t been used as often and was stuffed in the back. I didn’t think it could be organized. Switching to small clear containers made all the difference.

Since finding small containers, I’ve realized that I can pull out the container, grab what I need, and put it all back neatly. No longer are bottles toppling and blocking things from being found.

Note that you shouldn’t expect to use the lids. I recycled mine because I didn’t need the clutter. Everything is sized differently, and as long as things are contained, its okay to pop out of the top. Additionally, who really wants to waste time fighting with getting a lid on or off?

Organization needs to be simple. Otherwise? Its not going to last. And we all know that when we learn to be organized, we need a simple system we like to keep it going.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

A few years ago, I was sent a sample of Everything (Almost) In Its Place and read it quickly (its a quick, easy read). I’ve been living their suggestions, and quoting and referring to them ever since.

Pretty Neat doesn’t let the fans down. Authors Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch do exactly what I set out to do: simplify life by organizing in a way that’s simple, makes sense, and doesn’t require perfection. Isn’t that ideal? They make it doable.

I opened the book and skipped straight to chapter 7: Wrangle Those Family Schedules. We’re just getting into multiple schedules around here, especially now that baseball season is approaching and Big and Middle will be in different leagues. Add to that their regular projects and homework assignments to manage (at 5 and 7, mom needs to teach them to manage, but also have total awareness and alertness) and other activities and this chapter became invaluable. The book offers not just one solution for managing schedules, but several, explained with the idea that no one system is right for everyone. They interviewed numbers of women to share and give suggestions of solutions.

From real people and real parents in the real world, Alicia and Sarah tell you how to tackle life and all its disorganizations, with out the stresses of complex systems. They make it easy.

I’ve already dived in and am anticipating many opportunities to try their tactics and suggestions. And I’ll let you know which work for me in my real life and share them with you.

Want to join me? The authors of Pretty Neat are sending one of my readers her very own copy through this give away (with a further chance to win a $200 gift card and $50 in Buttoned Up product). You will love the book. Really. And if you don’t win? Help yourself out and buy it. It’s perfect for keeping on your nightstand or desk top for the moments you need inspiration or ideas. And, please, let me know your favorite ideas as you try them. I can’t wait to share with you!

Giveaway details:

How to enter:

• Required entry: Comment below asking an organizational question that you need answered. I’m always searching for blog fodder and would much rather help out a reader with a practical solution. So share share share those questions.
• Optional entry: subscribe to Just Precious using the RSS subscribe button at the top of the sidebar or by clicking here and comment below that you subscribed
• Optional entry: tweet or share on facebook that you entered to win a copy of Pretty Neat, a $200 gift card and $50 in Buttoned Up product. Here are a sample tweet and a sample facebook message, just be sure to include the link, then comment that you did it:
  • Tweet: Organization Giveaway from @justprecious. You could win a copy of Pretty Neat, a $200 gift card or $50 in Buttoned Up product: http://wp.me/pHY8M-SI
  • Share on Facebook: I entered the organization giveaway from Just Precious. You could win a copy of Pretty Neat, a $200 gift card or $50 in Buttoned Up product: http://wp.me/pHY8M-SI

One winner will be selected via random.org and will be sent an email announcement. She will have 24 hours to respond with her mailing address. If she does not reply, an alternate will be chose. No exceptions. Winner must be a US resident.

Additionally, one winner at random from across all blogs participating in this promotion to receive a $200 gift card (same as cash such as Visa or AmEx) plus a selection of Buttoned Up products (ARV: $50) to be used towards her own reasonable organizational goals for her life.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.