App of the Week: Postagram

this entry has 0 Comments/ in App of the Week, Fun, Mobile and On-the-Go, Tools and Apps, Travel / by Innovatively Organized

June 29, 2011

Description:
Do you have tons of great photos on your iPhone? Wish you could share them with all of your friends and family? Sure, you can upload them to Facebook, but what about sharing with people who aren’t on Facebook? If you want hard copies of your memories to send to others or cherish on your refrigerator door, try the Postagram app. It allows you to send printed photo postcards!

Abilities:
• Deliver anywhere in the world for just 99 cents
• Delivery within the US in 2-5 days
• Can include a personalized message
• Photo can pop out of the postcard to be framed
• Can send photos from your iPhone, Facebook, Instagram
• Can take photos with Postagram

Great for:
• Sharing memories
• Printing photos on your phone or Facebook
• Sending creative event or party invitations
• Thank you notes
• Birthday cards, holiday cards
• Traveling

Cost: Free

Innovative Idea: Menu Storage

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Fun, Innovative Idea, Seattle, Space Planning / by Innovatively Organized

June 24, 2011

A while ago, we went to a restaurant that had the menus built into the sides of the table. As professional organizers, we were highly impressed by their creative use of space and efficient planning! As hungry restaurant-goers, we were pleased to find our menus so quickly! To operate a restaurant, this idea is not only innovative and fun, it is incredibly functional. The hosts don’t have to worry about finding rogue menus everywhere, nor do the waiters have to fuss with collecting the menus once customers have ordered.

This shows, once again, the importance of good space planning. Whoever designed these realized that tables are where menus are most needed. And so, the menus are stored within the tables!

What are your thoughts? If you need great space planning like this, learn how we can help.

Product Spotlight: Galison File Totes

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Business Organizing, Mobile and On-the-Go, Office Organizing, Paper Management, Product Spotlight / by Innovatively Organized

June 22, 2011

Description:
For those constantly battling piles of paperwork on the go, this is a great solution. This lightweight file tote comes with eight expandable sections- perfect for storing your meeting notes, project outlines, folders, and forms. The handle makes it easy to transport, while protected from Seattle’s rain by an elastic closure.

You’ll love it for:
• Transporting business back and forth from your car
• Organizing different types of paper, i.e. “to file,” “for assistant,” etc.

Cost: $20-40

Available at: Our Amazon Store

Article: Overcoming Clutter in Our Lives

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June 18, 2011

What causes us to have clutter in our lives? Why are we afraid to throw something away? Why is it so hard to acknowledge that we own things we don’t need?

We found this very interesting article on CNN about a writer’s personal struggle with clutter in her home. She is honest and open about her “pack rat” tendencies. As she surveys her accumulation of stuff over the years, piled in corners around her house, she realizes the two main reasons we hold onto clutter: “you either fear the future or are attached to the past.” This psychological drive for resisting the garbage or local donation site applies to all of us.

The problem is, regardless of whether we love reliving memories or actually do need things in the future, the mass of clutter lining our hallways, closets, and floors becomes incredibly stressful. It takes up space and energy- physically and mentally. We need to learn how to part with items that we simply don’t need.

A worthwhile read in understanding why we acquire so much clutter and how we can begin to simplify.

App of the Week: Evernote

this entry has 0 Comments/ in App of the Week, Electronic Organizing, Mobile and On-the-Go, Paper Management, Time Management and Productivity, Tools and Apps / by Innovatively Organized

June 16, 2011

Description:
Evernote is one of our absolute favorite tools- it’s a great way to stay organized, no matter your age, profession, or lifestyle. The best way to describe this digital notebook is that it allows you to capture anything and access it everywhere. Anything you see, hear, create, or think of can be saved on Evernote and later accessed through your phone, computer, and devices.

Abilities:
• Save ideas, images, sounds, documents/PDFs
• Create checklists
• Clip interesting web pages
• Take pictures
• Share notebooks with others
• Sync across your phone, computer, web, tablet
• Available everywhere: Windows, Mac, iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android

Great for:
• Busy families
• Mobile professionals
• Artists, authors, musicians, photographers
• Travelers
• Students

Cost: Free

You can also read our past blogs about the benefits of Evernote:
Elizabeth’s Favorite Things: Digital Filing with Evernote
Useful Organizing Tips for Evernote
Useful Organizing Tips for Evernote- Part 2
Increase Productivity with Evernote During the Holidays

Elizabeth’s Favorite Things – IdeaPaint Saves Room and Boosts Productivity

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Business Organizing, Clutter, General Organizing, Residential Organizing / by Innovatively Organized

June 9, 2011

I’ve blogged about this before, but now it’s widely available at all of Lowe’s roughly 1,750 home-improvement stores in the United States. IdeaPaint is a whiteboard in a paint jar – it turns virtually any flat surface that you can paint into a high-performance dry-erase surface!

Using the walls to organize is one of my favorite organizing tips, and using this product really maximizes your wall space when you have little room to hang up a memo board or shelves. You can use this paint at home in areas such as above the sink, inside cabinet doors, and on table tops. At work, it can be applied to columns, desks, hallways, even over old white boards that need to be refreshed. It’s a great way to keep track of lists and appointments, as well as share information. And it comes in more than just plain white so you can coordinate with your décor. Check it out.

Innovative and environmentally-friendly, too!
•   No costly removal – just paint over it
•   Uses fewer raw materials
•   60 lbs less than other whiteboards its size
•   Less expensive to ship and install

Innovatively Organized on the Radio!

this entry has 0 Comments/ in General Organizing, Innovatively Organized, Media / by Innovatively Organized

June 8, 2011

We had the opportunity to be interviewed by Pam Gray and Rochelle Alhadeff of ‘Chat with Women’–a radio program geared toward helpful advice for women. They focus on guests who provide expertise on personal health, family and relationships, life skills, and financial matters. Listen to the interview with Elizabeth Bowman, professional organizer and owner of Innovatively Organized.