Question: I know latching onto back issues of magazines is a problem in itself and someday I hope to address that!  Meantime, I want to store them, but also have access to them.  I’d like to have some system that saves space (i.e. goes up instead of out) as I live in a studio apartment with minimal closet/storage space.  The best solution would keep the old mags out of sight, though decorative containers are fine for view.  Any ideas?

Answer:  I think it is safe to say that most people who have a magazine subscription also have a problem letting go of their back issues.  But don’t assume it’s a problem you have to solve.  It doesn’t become clutter unless it either doesn’t have a place in your home or it doesn’t make you happy.  I’m not sure how many back issues you have, but if you’re like me, it’s a lot.  I have issues I keep for gardening, cooking, crafts, etc. At one point, I started tearing out articles and recipes I wanted to keep but soon realized I was keeping most of them and was just mutilating the magazines with the whole process. Continue Reading »

Question: I am in desperate need of some organizing help for school work.  Over the past 18 months and with a career change, I have become a part-time college English instructor typically teaching in 2-3 different schools simultanesouly.  Within a semester, I have a ton of paperwork that I cannot seem to get my arms around.

Since I have no office space on campus, I use my home to store all the material I need. I have books, class activities, quizzes, tests, worksheets, homework and papers to grade and return. I have purchased 4 different colored “milk” crates to keep the schools separate.  That helps but I am still at a loss of how to control the paper that abounds endlessly.  My home does not have a room that can be utilized as an office.  Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Answer: When my husband started teaching school, he too faced the mounds of paperwork that came home.  And with 3 children in the house, we didn’t have the available space to create a home office for him to grade, create lessons, check homework, etc. He came up with some solutions that you could use for your schools.  Continue Reading »

With people regularly participating in so many activities or events and taking on more and more hectic schedule demands, a calendar is one thing that can keep everything organized and at your fingertips.

You only need one calendar to be organized. If you have too many calendars, some information may not be transferred and you could wind up with conflicting appointments.

For some people, everything can be kept on a PDA, iPhone or SmartPhone. Appointments, lists, addresses, expense reports and more can be stored on one small device depending on the model you choose.

For many other people, a good old-fashioned paper calendar is the only thing saving them from ultimate chaos. But with so many calendar styles to choose from, which is the right one?

Read on to see how to choose the right calendar for you…