Messy Sock Drawer

 Five reasons it makes sense to organize your sock drawer:

1.  Your sock drawer looks like this:

Messy Sock Drawer

2.  Socks removed from the dryer are thrown into a messy drawer...sock hunt required later.

3.  Two socks are selected without turning the light on; crossed ankles in a seminar later that morning reveals one black and one blue sock. 

4.  Purchase of a new pair of socks is easier than digging through the stuffed sock drawer to find mates.

5.  Annoyance is experienced because of the reasons noted above.

Even though I fold and put away clean clothes right away...usually...sooner or later my socks end up jumbled.  I decided to try out the drawer dividers pictured below before recommending them to clients.

Five reasons I like these drawer dividers: 

1.  It only took a few minutes to remove all socks from the drawer, sort and pair matching socks, discard singles, and insert the dividers.  

Tidy Sock Drawer

2.  Neatly arranged socks take up less space than a bunch of socks tossed in a drawer.

3.  Specific type and color of socks are so easy to select...at a glance; no mismatched sock surprise after arrival at work.

4.  It's only necessary to buy new socks when a different color is needed, or socks wear out.

5.  Satisfaction is derived from the one small change--organizing your sock drawer--no wasted time in  mate matching.

Note:  Purchase sock drawer dividers on-line, or at Bed Bath & Beyond and The Container Store, for example.

Stacked Up

One or more magazines arrive monthly and are scanned, or not, and plopped onto a pile of other unread magazines.  My Yoga Journal met this similar fate after its second 2-year renewal.  Does your Better Homes and Garden, National Geographic, Southern Living, or Time Magazine, for example, get treated like this too?  My five reasons magazines may mount up: 

1.  National Geographic may be like classic cars:  occasionally taken out, opened up, dusted off, and then put back.  Why?  Interest in them may be low.

2.  The new Sports Illustrated arrives in the morning and by afternoon the comfy couch beckons the receiver to rest and read.  The article's first paragraph gets read because it grabs your attention.  Then...the magazine slides off your lap and slithers to the floor, in a heap.  Nodding off requires repetitive rereading.

3.  The new Golf magazine joins its mates on the coffee table.  Your lifelong subscription and lack of actual golfing makes reading it unimportant in your busy life.

4.  The last, and previous issues of Better Homes and Garden nest in a basket by your chair.  Several weeks pass, and then, a telephone solicitor offers a new-subscriber rate--hooked!

5.  Throwing away or recycling magazines feels like throwing away money.

My thoughts about magazine reading and recycling

1.  Do you save magazines because you may read them in the future?  Maybe you won't.

2.  Check out this National Geographic website for reuse of this magazine.

3.  Keep a magazine in your vehicle for road repaving standstills, doctor's appointment waits, or friends delayed.  It makes the time pass pleasantly.

4.  Give your previous month's magazine to a friend when the new edition arrives, or try these tips for recycling magazines.

5.  Let go of guilt about reading your magazines.  Lehmkuhl and Lamping suggest, in their book, Organizing for the Creative Person, "...Stop everything and decide either to do it and forget it, or not to do it and forget it, and not feel guilty...."

Paperwork Past Its Prime

 

                 Paper, in some form, arrives daily in most households.  True?  Advertisements, bills, junk mail, magazines, donation requests, and newspapers are received by mail; documents are brought home from work and/or school; and business cards, fliers, and pamphlets are collected at business networking meetings, expositions, and trade shows.  Upon arrival, the tendency is to lay the paper object on the nearest chair, couch, desktop, or kitchen counter with the intention of taking care of it...later.  However, unprocessed, miscellaneous papers lie around, multiply, and may spread into other rooms.   

                Eventually, the time is right, or an occasion arises and the paper finally gets some attention. Hours upon hours are needed to sort, review, and dispose of the amassed paper collection.  Recently, a client’s decades’ worth of papers was processed by us, and inspired me to write this cinquain poem:

Papers

Many, saved

Reading, filing, recycling

Stack up, clutter minds, cause disorder

Toss!

Trips and Totes

          In early October 2009, my husband and I made a leisurely road trip from Vancouver, Washington to Boulder, Grand Lake, and Westcliffe, Colorado for a cousin's wedding and a visit with relatives and friends.  My husband drove the entire time, while I occupied space on the passenger side of the truck.  I imagined this road trip would be similar to hunting trips my husband enjoys.  Quiet. He is a hunter and comfortable with lengthy stretches of silence needed while scanning the terrain for wildlife.

          Long lulls in conversation were anticipated and required a bag full of things to keep my mind engaged and my hands occupied.  I hunted and gathered stuff in Fred Meyer:  mystery novels, a newspaper, Sudoku  puzzle book, pens, pencils, snacks, and bottles of water.  I wandered some more...then my eyes were drawn to these colorful bags with wonderful designs, neatly hung in vertical rows on a wall--especially the bag with a white bowl full of cherries on it.  When I opened the tote, I "found" three inner pockets in the middle.  Perfect for holding bottles upright, plus there was plenty of room for other trip items and my camera.

Patty Reed Designs' "Insta-Totes"

          Since that early fall trip, I have explored Patty Reed Designs web page and discovered additional totes:  Insulated lunch and grocery totes, zippered totes, and wine totes.  I like (love) them all!  These bags can be used for multiple purposes and "...are lightweight yet super-strong, with a virtually indestructible waterproof surface that can be wiped clean and reused indefinitely."  These totes are affordable and easy on the environment as they're made from recycled water bottles which can be recycled again.  Here's another cheerful favorite:

Patty Reed Insta Tote Inc.

          I love to use these boldly colored, sturdy bags to prepare for any trip or meeting...a short jaunt or long journey.  My favorite preparation practice is to sit the tote, with a "to-do" list attached to it,  next to the front door.  When I gather things and place them in the bag, I line through the item on the list (for some reason, that small act provides a sense of accomplishment).  On departure date, I'm ready to leave with all essentials organized in the "Insta-Tote."

          Read About Patty Reed Designs.