Put aside a few hours this month and use these quick and easy ideas to get your files in tip-top shape.

Do you have stacks and stacks of random paper in your home or work office? One way to deal with them is to create a working file.

I don’t know who declared the second Monday in January “National Clean off Your Desk Day,” but according to our organizing sources, it is a legitimate holiday! You may not want to run out and look for the corresponding greeting card, but why not set aside 20 minutes today to honor the organizing powers that be and tackle your home or office desk?

If you were suddenly faced with an emergency and you needed to evacuate your house quickly, how long would it take you to gather up your vital documents? Be prepared with a Grab n’ Go Box.

A few weeks ago I was invited to participate in a webcast with Office Max and THE Peter Walsh, host of TLC’s Clean Sweep, Oprah’s go-to organizing guru, and author of several books including “Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?” Peter is launching an amazing new line of workspace organization products at Office Max called InPlace, and the webcast was an opportunity to get a sneak peek into his new system.

For some people, traditional filing systems just don’t work. Standard labels like “Bills,” “To Do,” and “Finance” don’t provide a concrete connection to their paperwork. This is especially true for creative personalities, who don’t typically like being forced into rigid and inflexible systems.
And, let’s face it, filing is probably one of the most detested organizing chores out there. So if your paper pile is overwhelming and your filing system is out of sync with the way you view your papers, you’re left with a mountain of to-be-filed papers that may never see the …

Pretty products that are also functional can make me smile. Glamorous products that make organizing easy?  Well, they just make me downright giddy!
So today, I’ll spread that giddy feeling by sharing some of my recent pretty finds for storing and organizing around your home and office.
The Organized Parent has these great collapsible hampers.  What a classy way to store your dry cleaning, laundry or items that need mending. These are so pretty you may even start to enjoy these chores (okay, maybe not, but at least you’ll feel fashionable while you tackle them!).
If …

I’m honored today to be the first stop on Dave Crenshaw’s Blog Book Tour to promote his new book, The Myth of Multitasking:  How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done. Dave is a productivity and business coach and the founder of two innovative coaching programs, Time Gym and Fresh Juice Strategy.
Dave’s book, which is available in stores beginning today, August 18th, is a wealth of information for busy, overwhelmed, time-strapped people told in an easy-to-digest story form. I read this book cover-to-cover in one afternoon at the pool, and …

Last week I nearly had a panic attack!
Out of the blue, for no apparent reason, my PC’s hard drive crashed. I lost family pictures, 3 chapters of the book I’m writing, all my business contacts, all my accounting data, EVERYTHING!
In an effort to be environmentally friendly, as well as the fact that I cringe at the sight of paper piles, I rarely print files that can easily be referenced electronically. I also don’t use an external hard drive for backup.  Too.  Much.  Clutter.   Thanks to Carbonite, my trusty online data …

This is part 3 of my series on achieving balance while working from home.