Paper Pile Giveaway
Published January 7, 2011Congrats to the winner of Lysa TerKeurst’s book Made to Crave. She is: Kristina; timestamp 11:51 pm on January 5th. Send your home address to me at karen@proverbs31.org right away!
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Paper.
It piles.
It perturbs.
It is a problem!
Is there any aspect of trying to maintain a clean home that is more unnerving??
Sure the kitchen may get messy.
So what!!
We can always clean it up again, wiping and scrubbing until the counter is clean, the dishes are done and the pots and pans back in their rightful place.
If we want to keep it that way for a while, we need only to eat a meal or two out of have paper actually be our friend (in the form of plates on which to dine!!)
But with paper it is a whole different ballgame.
While we may be able to spend an afternoon sorting, purging and pitching our piles of paper leaving only the needed ones in our abode, it is only a temporary fix. No sooner have we tossed our piles into the trash (or recycle bin) than a whole new batch enters our home.
They come at us from all directions.
The newspaper arrives.
The mail gets delivered.
The kids return home from school or an extra-curricular activity.
Because we aren’t always sure what to do with this stuff, we end up placing it neatly in a pile.
Oh, come on! Do neat piles actually exist? I’m not sure I ever seen one.
Okay, maybe I’ve seen a few, but they didn’t stay neat for long. As soon as someone was in need of a paper they thought might be hiding in said pile, they rifled through it and left it a complete mess.
And what do the neat piles do to us women?
They shout, “Failure, failure, failure!! Why look at you mom! You can’t even make a decision. You don’t know where to put us so you just choose any horizontal surface within a three foot radius and plop us down. Incompetent woman! Can’t you even take care of the paper in your home, for crying out loud!!”
Okay, so maybe I’ve never actually had a pile talk to me like an apple tree on the way to Oz, but I have had that exact line of thought run through my brain.
Piles make me feel defeated. They remind me that I was not on top of the ballgame.
I didn’t have a plan for those papers, so there they sit, a stack of unmade decisions I put off until another time.
They are the culmination of the “for now”s in my life.
You know, “I’ll set this mail here, for now. I’ll put these papers on the counter for now. I really don’t have time to think about what to do with these clothes, shoes, toys, store items. Etc… I’ll just lay them here for now.
Gals, the phrase for now is derailing our organizational train!
Well, since January is a time for all things resolution-y, I’m sure many of you have made a goal that has to do with getting more organized around your place.
Maybe with your time.
Or with your cleaning & clutter.
Or your grocery shopping & meal planning.
Perhaps even with your paper piles!
Here’s a little giveaway to help boost your moral. It includes:
~A periwinkle (one of my favorite colors!) three-ring binder.
~A set of whimsical tab dividers for the binder.
~A sturdy vinyl folder with many inside pockets for organizing fliers & such.
~ A set of colorful push pins.
~A set of matching jumbo paper clips.
~A set of push clips for a bulletin board that hold coupons & such right where you can see them.
~A pocket 2011 calendar and matching notepad.
~Some totally fun, swirly-patterned, comfy-grip mechanical pencils. ( I always do my calendar in pencil since things may change & a I HATE a messy looking calendar!)
~An undated desk-size, week-at-a-glance planner pad to map out your days.
~Finally, a personalized copy of my book The Complete Guide to Getting & Staying Organized.
To enter the giveaway you must leave a comment on this post sometime between now & Monday morning at 7:00 am when the winner will be chosen and announced.
Either…..
Tell us what aspect of paper causes you the most trouble….
or
Give us a solution for any aspect of paper problems.
Now, if time is tight or you are simply drowning in paper at the moment and as a result your brain won’t work, simply say, “I’m in!” Drawing is random. 
I’ll try to hop on over the weekend and share a few of my paper tips with you too. (NOTE: I have done this in the fourth page of the comments giving directions for how to assemble a Brain in a Binder that will house your papers. Click on the comments & then scroll down to see )
Now…get tackling those piles girlfriends!!!!
Pile-busting Blessings,
188 Responses to Paper Pile Giveaway
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im so bogged down in piles i cant think straight! Im in!!!!!!
Ugh! This is probably the worst area of clutter for me!! And now my husband has started working from home so he took over the office I was using to stash all of the paper! The piles call to me (they really do) from every room of my house because I don’t have a desk or area to sit down and deal with it. I’m in!!
I am a sentimental momma…so I have a hard time throwing anything away. A solution for me was to put a box/Rubbermaid container in the back of each of my children’s closets. I ask them what they absolutely want to keep from their school treasures…special papers, artwork, etc. I then place them in the box, they are out of the way, and don’t end up in the trash (or on my counters). With the extra special artwork, I place tape on the back and display them on my upper kitchen cabinet doors. They will only be young for such a short time…this way their work is proudly displayed, there is room for everyone’s, and I have a heart-touching mommy kitchen that isn’t cluttered.
I had decided that this weekend I was going to start the long and painful process of doing something with my not-so-neat little piles. When the piles get too big then I put them in a shopping bag. I have too many of those now. I can never find receipts or important papers when I need them and what should be merely going to a folder or file and getting something ends up being a paper melt down which begins the trail of thoughts that you mentioned earlier. H E L P!!!!!!!!!
I’m in!
I have worked hard at clearing my piles. I am not sure if there is one thing that has helped other than just doing it…it’s amazing how the act of doing it and not procrastinating, not whining about it, not drowning it but actually doing it makes a difference!
Oh, this post really resonates with me! I’m good about keeping receipts, bills and medical paperwork organized. But when it comes to odd things I can’t take care of right away, well, they pile up on the end of the kitchen counter.
I’m a writer, so in addition to the piles on the kitchen counter, I have piles on and around my desk on the floor. It’s maddening and I need to make a better effort to get it under control. So…I’m in!
)
This is absolutely my biggest problem! I was on my knees sorting through a bin of stuff this morning looking for something I absolutely had to have! And, yes, it all makes me feel like a total failure! I am totally in! I want the piles of paper to go away!
I might need it. . . how do I know what to keep or not to keep?!
I have no solutions. I need solutions! I’m so in!
Love this post!!! This is so me. I have piles all over my dresser and on my scrapbook table downstairs. I’m considering homeschooling in the fall so I want to try and get all of this organized before then.
Bills!!!! Wish I could toss those too!!! I’m in!!
I’m quick to throw away! Causes problems sometimes…..
My solution is to move. Dad was a preacher, so moved a lot when I was growing up, married a man in the military, so more moving, but this retirement thing is a challenge (have only moved three times in the last 16 years). Each time we downsize, it helps.
I tend to keep everything in notebooks and that helps with the organization process.
You have described me so well. Piles of paper everywhere. It drives me crazy. But after working all day, coming home & taking care of kids, the last thing I want to do is wade through the papers. I have a kindergartner this year and she brings home TONS of workpages every day. I want to scream!! I could really use some organizational help. Thank you.
I hate / love those “ideas to try later” papers…..have tried filing….have tried boxes….but those are the piles that I can’t seem to get away from!
I have the hardest time knowing what to do with school papers and mail that I’m not ready to deal with that minute, so can’t file. Reminders, upcoming events, something to check up on, etc. My big kitchen counter is a catch all and I can’t break this terrible cycle! If I manage to get it cleared, it’s cluttered again within a couple of days.
Piles of paper all over the house is a HUGE problem for me! One solution I use is to keep a paper bag for newspaper recycling next to the chair I sit in when I read. That way, as soon as I’m done with a section of the paper, it immediately goes into the bag. My husband thinks it’s a bit unsightly (although it’s in a corner, semi-hidden behind a side table), but if it’s not right there the papers would end up scattered all over the living room.
I am sooo in! I have several piles, but can never find it when I need it! The binder is an awesome idea!
God Bless,
natalie
Hi Karen~
I struggle with paper piles too. One thing that has helped the appearance of the pile–sort of– is a set of clear file boxes-one for each kid. I put their names on them with coloful pens. Then when I take time to sort, I can put their papers that I don’t need to keep in their file boxes and when it gets full, they take it to their room and sort it themselves (with a little help sometimes). They each have a large (14×18) envelope in their room designated for that year’s papers. Once that gets full, they have to purge from there. Sometimes I feel like I am just shuffling the paper around from room to room, but it does give me the opportunity to start teaching them how to decide to save or throw papers. My second grader is pretty good at it now. Thanks for your always encouraging blog and I look forward to meeting you on the MTC train next week!!
Blessings,
Heather
When I come in from work the first thing I do is go through the mail as I stand at the trash. All junk goes right into the trash. I have the most trouble with papers received from insurance companies, mutual fund statements, etc., trying to figure out what to save and what to keep.
I guess this probably sounds morbid, but my goal for 2011 is to make an organized file and list of our personal records, accounts, etc., so that if needed these things can be located easly by whoever is having to administer our will. Not that I plan on leaving anytime soon!
I’m in!
I am so in and was nodding me head the whole time I read this post. I think you and are the same woman or either you have been in my kitchen which is where my “for now” piles always happen – but lately just to get out of the way “for now” I have been hiding things in drawers…YIKES – can you TELL I need help!
Our papers from work that come home are the worst. I work with animals and my husband is in law enforcement so we are constantly having to certify and get tested and they all give you paper that you have to keep up with.
I made a small cute tickler file with hanging folders for the counter. It’s cut and compact and customizeable! Label files with categories that work for you: bills, to file, to read, take action, hubby’s name…possibilities are endless. The trick is to actually put papers in the file when they arrive to avoid the piles!
Karen,
My biggest struggle is organizing my kids school papers. Artwork, worksheets, newsletters, anything that comes home in their backpacks. I have too many “now” piles. And I need to get a handle on this because in a few years I will have another in school. Any suggestions would be great and deeply appreciated.
Thanks
Wow, this post is SO me! And I can see by the comments already that alot of us struggle in this area! I again had to go through a “pile” just last night. Definitely on my to do list this year, to end the “piles” and the clutter. Thank you for your insights into alot of the areas we all struggle with. God bless.
Homeschool = endless paperwork nightmare. I use the standard clothes pins to temporarily organize. Mark one ‘file’, one ‘keep’, and so on. Then, as I sort, the stuff is supposed to get into the right place. It does work…but I’m always shuffling papers. I’d love to gather more tips and tricks though…and maybe something more stylish.
I am so in…It is like the big paper chase in my kitchen and on my desk! I have lots of great intentions and now that my oldest is in school even more paper is coming into the house and I am drowning in it!
Tell us what aspect of paper causes you the most trouble….
LOL! ALL of it! It’s unreal. Between the mail, the newspapers, the coupons, the paperwork from the doctors’ offices, recipes, books, notebooks, post-it note reminders, calendars, magazines & school paperwork, I feel like I’m drowning in paper. Just on my desk alone, I have 6 piles of paper! *sheesh*
Any tips that you can share will be most appreciated!
Thanks! : )
What a FABULOUS giveaway – Thank you! I have learned that the least amount of times I can touch paperwork, probably the better. Example: When the mail comes in, the sooner I can file it, better! When the children bring home papers from school, if I can sign them right away and place them back in their backpack to return, better!! Managing effective systems seems to be a continual work in progress!!
I’m going to get a handle on my piles…I have piles everywhere! I have a file for our billing stuff, but it piles up and then I have to marathon file it all away. I need a system and place for all the paper to go!!!!
We would LOVE for those piles to leave our catch-all counter top. But it’s the first thing you come to when you come in the door. My husband would think I was a real domestic goddess if I found a way to get rid of that clutter!
School papers and recipes are my biggest problems! I have tackled the mail paper clutter by opening, addressing, and recycling immediately. I definitely need help organizing school papers and recipes!!
I have piles of paper that I stack up nice and neat and try to get to and sort. But I usually don’t get to them so then I have a drawer in my desk that I stuff them in. I wish I could organze them alittle better.
Ok – no working solution here! I have had this problem for as long as I can remember. My non-effective solution is to let the pile sit there until I’m going to work on it. I then put it into a bag to carry it to the work area. After going through some of it, I put what’s left back in the bag. That’s when the real trouble starts…when I go to “hide” the pile for company, I stow the bag away until a later time but never get back to it! I seriously need help in this area. I know my husband would appreciate it forever as well. By the way, this is a multi-generational problem in our family as I remember my grandparents’ dining room table full of paperwork as well as my parents’. I think it must be inherited! I know it’s time to break the cycle!
I am an organizational flunkie. I try but have so much trouble being consistent. My biggest struggle is with the stuff I’m not sure what to do with. Maybe I’ll need it later but not right now. Maybe I need to act on it but must do something first. Maybe it is something that I MIGHT want to do but need to think about it, pray about it, research it…I never quite know what to do with those things and so I leave them on the counter…to remind me. Then I bury them and find them when it is too late, I have forgotten, missed out, etc. UGH! I need help!
This is such a huge issue for me! I am in.
This is one of my unspoken resolutions – to deal with the paper piles. (Well, I guess now it’s “written” – lol). Not knowing what to do with certain things is an issue for sure. Then, when the piles get bad, or we have company coming, I pick up the piles and pile them into boxes or bags to hide. The house looks good – but those hidden piles are still lurking, waiting to attack me with the “you’re so inept” thoughts. In addition to not knowing what I should keep and what I should not, there is the time issue. With my work, I may be gone for 15 hours a day. By the time I get home, I can barely think straight – let alone want to spend time with the piles instead of my children. Aaarrrggghhhh! I HATE PILES!
I have real issues…HELP!!!
Huge orgnaizational issues with papers from school and extra curr. activities – just as quickly as I get the counters cleaned off – someone comes home and adds more to the counter!!
I am so in…and drowning in piles of paper!
I keep a three-slot file that (supposedly) gets emptied once a week: to read, to do (bills, etc) and to file. My biggest problem is all the magazines!
I have two baskets (one for incoming mail that needs attention and one for filing) that help keep things somewhat contained. However, it sometimes feels like the piles just live in those basket.
My biggest challenge is finding time to file the things in the file basket.
My paper problem is recipes that I print from the internet. Some I make right away and put in a binder, but there are some that I print that I might make one day. I have a whole pile of these!
I cringe with every piece of paper coming in our house! I get overwhelmed with school papers/keepsakes and mail that doesn’t need to be addressed now but later.
Paper is where I still struggle the most. With school papers from 4 children, mail, and paperwork from our business, I need to find some solutions. I have tried different filing systems and ways to keep it together, but I am still working on it.
I completely relate to that stack of neatly placed papers screaming out at you. The more organized I “feel” I become, the more papers there are to deal with — that new recipe that looks delicious, that money-saving coupon… the list is endless.
I have a standing folder system for the weekly coupon inserts, and I have a three-ring binder to put that special poem, quote, tip, 8×11 sheet recipe. I’m always looking for a solution for the things that don’t “fit” into my semi-organization.
My biggest problem is the statements that come from the insurance company. There’s seven people in my family, and the insurance company makes sure that each person has their own statement for everything! Somehow I feel compelled to keep them all, just in case I need them for taxes or something. Yet I don’t even bother to open 90% of the envelopes. So what I have is a basket containing a year’s worth of envelopes which is completely overwhelming!
Incoming Mail! Yikes, as I was reading your blog I look around me and there are paper stacks everywhere! What’s a girl to do
I’m in!
Receipts and the “Keep this portion for your records” part of the bill are my clutter biggies! Just took a break from organizing my scrapbook papers since my mom gave me some organizing bins for my birthday yesteray!!! Love the goodies in the giveaway!
I like to think I’m organized with all the paper that enters our home, and I even have file folders to sort them into, but the file folders are in a pile! The worst one for me is schoolwork. I feel bad for throwing any of that stuff out so it goes into a drawer and at the end of the schoolyear, I go through it and decide what is actually worth keeping. But, I could definitely use some help.
Paper… Wow that is a big problem. We had newspapers everyday, mail, I am a homeschooling mother so print outs and work pages. I had to get help it was attacking at all sides. So here is what I started to do. I cancelled the newspaper and signed up for online reading, also for consumer report magazine too, (we always saved that one) Two down. On the mail. I get it, walk in the door go straight to the counter by the trash. I recycle or toss the unnecessary items. Bills or need to keeps are delt with immediately. No waiting to sneak up on me. With the kids papers everyone has a cubby. So my counter are now free of the clutter. Recipes are saved to neat program I checked out from the local library. So now that is also handled, plus now super easy to find and plan out meals. I’m happy and so is my house. I hope this helps others.
For my grocery shopping list, I have a pad
I have to agree w/a prior post regarding school work…that’s my biggest problem – there’s so much of it to go thru, it typically piles up for a couple weeks, then I widdle away at it, only for it to creep right back up on me
Would love ideas of getting better organized!! thanks 
I never seem to make a dent in the piles.
I am a homeschool mom. All the papers that go along with being a homeschool family just keep piling up. I have a ruthless throw away policy, but I still get busy and end up with stacks of stuff where they needn’t be.
Paper is my worst enemy at home – especially in my kitchen entry area. Piles are everywhere! I am very sentimental about all my kids writings, pictures, drawings, art projects, etc. I have trouble throwing them away. I also love to print out recipes, exercise tips, healthy eating articles and devotions from the internet. Again – more piles! I start to get organized and then just get overwhelmed and never finish. I love the idea someone gave about having the kids help sort through their papers and deciding what to save – only what will fit in a specific container, file or box. My Mom was a saver too so I never learned this skill. Really want to teach my kids differently.
I was so excited to set up a pretty white container on my desk. It was going to hold all my papers nice and neat until I could file them. Well…it holds all the papers, but it’s overflowing, not nice and neat, and then the cat walks on the pile and papers fall on the floor, and it’s a huge mess and I start hyperventilating. I need a better system!!
Oopsie, I hit send before I submitted my email and website!
For me, I have clutter in my genes. I have hoarders on both sides of my family and I swear it is genetic! SO, I have been working hard on purging the last year with much success. BUT now I have piles of papers I know I NEED to keep and I am not sure how to organize them so I can keep up with it all. Kids schoolwork, and forms for my business are the biggest challenge.
I have trouble with the kids’ school papers and catalogs!!! I totally need a better system. Stuff gets hung up on the fridge and I forget about things. Catalogs pile up super fast at our house!!! I would love to win. I think the giveaway would really help me to get more organized….which I need to do even if I don’t win. LOL! Thanks for the chance to win!
I never thought I’d be so happy at the prospect of winning items for organization!
For me, it is keeping mail sorted that is tough!
The piles that occur on the kitchen counter/island…arrgh!!!! And when they get lessened, they build back up again!
The paper that causes me the most frustration is receipts. They just pile up everywhere and I hate to throw them out for the first year, although it should be 6 months or less.
For kids work, I have found it helpful if I pick out just a few actual pieces to keep and then just take pictures of the rest with my camera. That way I “have” the kids’ work but a 4×6 photo in my photo storage box takes up A LOT less space than the actual art project or schoolwork.
Receipts are my biggest problem. I try and keep them all together, the only thing is I end up with a stack of them (all unorganized of course). If I would have a file for each type of receipt, maybe when I need to find certain ones it would be easier.
I’m loving all the items in this giveaway!
I have to agree with receipts…either they are all stuffed in my purse or laying on the kitchen counter. Then when I need a receipt I can’t find the right one. I really struggle with which receipts to keep and which ones to get rid of.
I homeschool my 4 children so I have paper piles everywhere. One corner of my house could be deemed a fire hazard. I’m definitely in!
I have a “mom-brain” binder on my desk. In it goes all the school info – calendar, directory, etc. Whenever I get a paper telling me something is due or the room needs something, I put it in the binder in reverse order – so that when things come due, I know the week of. I also organize the kids’ papers/artwork in huge three ring binders. I put their artwork in sheet protectors and they get a binder for each year. I have a basket where I let things “marinate” for about a month, then pick out our favorites for the binder. When mail comes, I toss the junk immediately, file the bills, and the rest is only allowed on the counter for a couple of days. I keep magazines in the car for waiting to pick up kids, and newspapers we read and recycle.
How did you know I was just lamenting over my piles!! Bills are my worst! Everything else I can eventually throw away. I’m not a keeper but need a good system for bill sorting, paying, filing, shredding etc.
This post reminds me that someone stole my clipboard for school notes and to do lists… hmmmmmm. Maybe I need to go buy another. =)
I am laughing at this subject. I just spent all morning organizing my office at work! I think it takes the beginning of the year to motivate us and a chronic mess to less us know that we need to do something. I threw away a lot of stuff!!!
Receipts and bills that have already been paid are placed in a pile on my desk. Because I’m not forced to look at the pile every day, the pile just keeps growing. I hate to admit that I’m tempted to just throw it all away instead of trying to organize it all because it has been over a year already since I’ve filed anything. Yikes!
I LOVE organization! I know, I’m a bit weird, but I can get real irritable if my home doesn’t look organized to the naked eye. O.K. — don’t look in my closets, but I like what I can see to be neat and orderly. My greatest problem with paper is — everybody else!! It seems like if there is an available flat surface or tabletop, my husband thinks it’s important to cover it with mail, tools, food, etc. Usually, I give him a time limit. I say, you have until Saturday to go thru your things — keep what you need and throw away the rest. If — by that time — you have not done so, I will do it. (He knows that I am much more willing to “file” things permanently than he is.) He usually gets right on it!
I clip to many articles, recipes, lists, and also newsletters from Christians organization I like to support to read later and it piles up faster than I have time to read it–but for some reason I think it is that important to save?? I’m trying to KISS and live more in the moment and realize I don’t need to know everything….only what God leads me to. I don’t want to be a news-info junkie.
As soon as I get a medical bill in the mail I fill out the form and mail it back. Then I put the stub in a folder and keep them in the drawer for the entire year. At the end of the year I have everything in one place and in reverse chronological order. I put them downstAirs and start a new folder for the next year. If I don’t do it right away- well… Paper stacks happen!
How funny that I took a five minute break from organizing my home-office files and I read this post. I’m plugging along trying to make a system that will STICK! BTW, periwinkle is one of my favorite colors too!
Clutter Clutter Clutter it is such a continual problem. It is like the dishes, there will always be more tomorrow. I enjoy your writings each day, thank you for the inspiration!
I don’t really have an office. It is more like a computer desk in a common area. This results in all the important papers being thrown onto the desktop for “safekeeping” until later. With two small children, life is constantly pulling me in different directions. I do sort the mail as it comes in the door and place all the bills in a small wire divider holder that sits on top of my printer. My biggest problem is keeping track of all the coupons, reciepts, business cards, informational article, quick notes I jot down, ect. all piling up on my desk, or the kitchen table till I can sort through them.
Paper can be a real dilemma. I have been inspired by all of the posts. Thanks for starting the conversation going!! God bless, Karen
I’ve been thinking about taking a small piece of wood and driving a nail through the bottom of the wood and then setting it “somwhere” on my desktop to slide reciepts on. Similiar to what they do at banks and other stores.
Paper–it’s the thorn in my side that won’t go away. I always feel like I have to apologize for it when people come into my house. One thing that I have done to attempt to gain control is to buy two big decorative boxes that sit on my counter. One for each boy of mine and when I empty out their backpack everyday the paper that doesn’t need anymore action goes into the box. Now, the problem is, I know I shouldn’t even be keeping half of it, but I am paralyzed to decide what to keep and toss!
My biggest problem is that our desk/office area is in the basement and we don’t have a functional office space in the area of the house where we “live,” so I don’t organize the papers at all
.
School papers are taking over!
I could really use this. My biggest paper problem is all of it. I have piles all over and when I have to search for a specific paper, I can’t remember which stack it’s in so have to go through all stacks until I find it. This is one of my goals this year is to get a handle on my paper and set up a filing system. Thank you for the chance to win this prize. Happy New Year!
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
My biggest problem area are the boxes of “special” paper to put in scrapbooks for my kids. Will wonder if I will ever have time or the organization to do this!
I’m in! I need to get organized on SOOO many levels!
I try to scan as many things as I can and then shred the paper copy. That way, I have it if I need it in the future, but I don’t have to contend with stacks of paper and bulging files – if the stacks make it to the file to begin with! This is great for things like the car maintenance records, statements from the insurance company, bank statements,etc. I have a folder for each on my computer and use the date of the statement as the file name. This also makes it a lot easier to find what I’m looking for when I do need it!
I agree totally. I have a love hate relationship with paper.
I have sooo many paper problems! The biggest one is that it piles up-the mail is my biggest enemy at times. I do have a bill holder and scrap paper holder in my kitchen but the mail still piles up and just lays around on my table in my family room…..help would be great!
Amy V.
Ug…. paper! My kids’ papers from school and the mail…. it piles too quickly!
It’s just like you said, I let it pile up. This is followed by a paer purging session. I’m proud of myself. No sooner is the paper under control, than more comes in. UGH!
I feel like I just move piles around — I sort thru them, discard what I don’t need any longer but the pile never seems to get any smaller due to new stuff coming in. sigh.
My two biggest issues are receipts and school papers. I homeschool my kids and I’m trying to do better about the school papers this semester. I’ve started grading at more often and immediately putting them in a binder or tossing them.
Is it a problem when you kitchen is being taken over by these “neat” piles of paper?! As I type this I have a pile of papers stacked on the table, a pile of papers on the microwave, and another bigger pile of papers on the countertop. Most of this paper clutter consists of mail that my husband needs to read (or says he will read, which means they will still be in the same pile for another week), homeschooling papers from my daughter, art projects and coloring sheets, and papers that have no home. Do I have a problem?! ; )
What an amazing and greatly needed giveaway. My challenge is that I fear discarding papers in the event I need them again…truly! It is a real problem.
Blessings to you this weekend
I have a 12 month accordion file. After I pay a bill, I just throw it in there. At the end of the year it goes into a box labeled that year. I used to try and file all the bills separately, but why? I hardly had to look at them again. Its been a huge time saver. Now for all the other papers I want to look at and lack the time – that’s a pile!
I have trouble with all of the crafts and extra special projects my children do..Where do we put all of there special things…
I started bringing in the mail and going through it right away. Most items can be put in the recycle bin and I’m able to eliminate clutter and piles before they ever get started.
I am so in need of some organizing help!! Enter me please!!
)