How to Organize Basement - Before and After

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How To Organize Your Inbox

As we all know our inboxes have turned into modern day filing systems – and just like in the ‘old’ days they can get chaotic and out of hand in no time. Attempts are made to control the unruly inboxes, but for the most part messages are swept into folders that act as catch alls for everything (unorganized amalgamations of incoherent mess – thank goodness for advanced find!).

Think of the benefits an organized, logical filing system would mean for you: referencing to emails that you’ve received, find and view attachments again, decrease your scrolling time, and if you ever need someone to go in and look for something, you will be able to point them in the right folder, rather than having them rummage through all your emails.

Now that you’re eager to change your unorganized inboxes, here are some tips to help you on your way.

Inbox: Your Inbox should be just that – an inbox, not a permanent storage folder by any means. Even if you have a ‘misc’ file off of your inbox, keep your inbox clean and tidy. If you receive emails on a subject that you’re in process of dealing with and you’re not ready to move them into a more permanent folder, create a ‘2do’ folder off of your inbox, from there group messages into subfolders.

This is a great way to keep organized and an easy reference to see what you have to do.

How to use it: When you receive an email for an ongoing or upcoming task, create a folder in your ‘2do’ folder with a name related to that task or client. Move the email into that folder, create a reminder or appointment if necessary, and —voilà!— you now have an organized inbox. When you receive more emails related to this task they can now go straight into the subfolder that you created. Once you have completed this task you can easily move all the contents to a permanent folder of your designation. The key is to keep on top of it and once you’re done with a subfolder in your ‘2do’ folder list, delete or move it. Keeping the folders after a task is over will hinder your organization and add to your electronic clutter.

This method will allow you to have an easy visual reference for work that has to be done, and even if some tasks are ‘back-shelved’ for the moment, you can still see them and keep them fresh in your mind. Once you are able to concentrate on the emails that are just coming in, you will be able to focus more on your business and less on your clutter.

Subfolders: Don’t be afraid to use subfolders, even subfolders in subfolders. Putting items into logical groups is a key to keeping your files organized.

How to use: For example – You may have a number of clients and a couple of different companies that you do work for, and each client/company will have multiple tasks, projects, instructions, etc. Under your Inbox, create a file for each company, under the company create a folder for each client, and under each client create folders for the number of different tasks that you perform.

Having a place to put messages as they come in is a key to staying on top of your tasks and messages. Inboxes have a way of getting large and overwhelming very quickly, putting these steps in place will help to control the unsightly messes and as a bonus keep you organized in the process.

To view a diagram of this method visit www.officeassit.ca/articles_OfficeAssistants_inbox.htm. Christina, owner of Online Office Assistants, offers professional administrative solutions to businesses and individuals. You can visit her website at http://www.officeassist.ca for more info.

Organize Life-tools You Need To Organize Your Home And Your Life Now

Many people today suffer from a lack of organization, both in their home and overall life. The truth is, you could probably instantly skyrocket your productivity at least 100% (likely more) by simply organizing your belongings around your home and office. Here are some tools to help you when first embarking on your goal to organize your life.

First of all, one of the most important things you can do is identify somebody that you know and has their life in order, and glean information from them. There is nothing more powerful than to find somebody that lives an effective and organized life and find out from the master themselves.

Quite simply, there is a lot of garbage information being published about what it takes to achieve good organization today. Most of it comes from people who have no idea what it takes to accomplish maximum effectiveness in their homes and lives. Before listening to advice, pay attention to the source.

Make a plan. There is nothing that’s more powerful to achieving your goals than having a plan to start off. Many people set far too general goals when first embarking on any area of their life.

Examples of generalized goals could be, I want to get in shape, or I want to get organized. What does that mean?

In order for this plan to fly, you need to have clear, specific goals that are well-defined and written out. Very likely, you will find it most effective to set long and short term goals. For instance, your long term goal could be getting your home organized in a year’s time. Your short term goal could be getting one room in order within a month.

It’s amazing how many people embark on a mission to accomplish ‘a goal’ without really knowing what they are after. That’s akin to driving in your car without any idea of your final destination; it would be pointless.

After you have your goals in mind, write them down on paper and put that paper in a place you can view it often. Knowing a target in your head is not enough; it needs to be in a place where you can view it often and constantly motivate you to achieve your goals.

Finally, you need to determine why you want something. It’s not enough to simply want to get organized-you need to know why you have this desire.

For instance, you might want to achieve greater productivity at work, earn $25,000 more per year, have more free time to spend with your kids, etc. If you don’t know why you are after a goal, it won’t provide a very meaningful target.

While the above tips may seem simple, it’s amazing how many people set out to achieve a target without knowing what they want to accomplish. The simplest and yet most powerful forces to achieving your goals is knowing where you are going and why you are going in that direction. Follow these tips, and you will organize your life faster than you ever thought possible.

For more great organization tips, try visiting http://www.organizelifetips.com, a popular site that teaches closet organizing as well as home organization tips.

Basement Remodeling - Creating A Basement You'll Love

Most basements are dark, gloomy, and simply serve as a storage area for old toys, clothes, seasonal items, and anything else that is not used on a regular basis. Most of us rarely go down into the basement unless it is to unload more clutter that we don't want or need.

But, why not turn this gloomy storage room into something functional and useful? Remodeling your basement is a cost-effective way to significantly increase your home's living space. Suddenly you could have a nice, cozy guest room, a playroom for your children, a home office, a game room; the possibilities are endless!

Below are five simple steps to a brand new basement.

1. Repair any Basement Water Problems First

Even if your basement hardly ever has issues with flooding or dampness, it's best to take care of the problem completely before beginning any remodeling efforts.

Permanent solutions can take time to put into operation. A smart place to begin is to get in touch with a home inspector who specializes in waterproofing problems.

2. Decide What You Want to Use Your Basement For

This is where you can turn lemons into lemonade. Your Basement has poor lighting? Consider setting up a dark room or a home theater. Is your basement lonely and isolated? The isolation helps provide a nice sound cushion for noisy activities such as a teenager hangout, a game room, or a place for your kids to practice their musical instruments to their hearts content. Use your imagination and come up with something that will benefit your family’s lifestyle.

3. Consider Professional Advice with Your Basement Design

Even though your basement might not be much to look at now, you'll want to end up with quality living space when the project is finished. An interior designer or architect can help you get the most out of the space. A little forethought and careful planning now can help you design a space that is attractive, comfortable and practical.

4. Consider the Air Circulation

Something important to consider is the air circulation of your basement. When your home was originally built, chances are that there were very few if any registers or vents installed in the basement. When you remodel your basement, you need to think about the need for good air circulation, adding openings where necessary.

To be on the safe side, install a carbon monoxide detector in your basement so that you'll have an early warning of any problems with the venting of the furnace or any other major appliances.

5. Make the Most of Your Basement's Natural Light

Depending on what you are using your basement for, you may wish to add more natural lighting. This can be done by enlarging your basement’s windows. Another benefit of larger windows is that they provide additional escape routes in case of fire.
Some may be concerned that by having basement windows that is providing easier access into the home by thieves. One way to lessen that risk is to install glass bricks instead of conventional windows at any location that is high-risk.

Take full advantage of the effect of regular windows by mounting some windows in the interior walls between rooms that open pathways for natural light to reach interior rooms.

About the Author
Christine Griego is the owner of http://www.home-options.info, a website that provides home improvement information, tips, and ideas.

Simple Moving Advice: Large Apartment to Smaller One

It's that time of year again to determine whether you will be living in your current apartment or moving. The rent has become unaffordable now that you are no longer receiving the income you once had. As you look around your apartment, you have to make the painful decision of what you will pack and what will be sold, given and thrown away. This is a personal time for you that may be best spent alone before you invite the family over to help you pack.

Begin to make a list or sort the items that mean the most to you by thinking, "If there were a fire what would I absolutely become depressed about it if I lost it?" Pack those things first. For some people it may be their treasured photos, diaries, family videos, certificates, awards, and jewelry. Include important insurance and tax information in boxes or suitcases that will be easy to find and unpack later.

Next, you may want to start with your collection of media removing all items that you don't watch, read or listen to anymore. Try to sell what you can through classifieds, fliers, yard sales, flea markets, and the Internet. What doesn't sell you can offer it to a media exchange outlet that will give you money for your used goods or give it to a donation center. Perform the same sorting method with clothes, shoes, kitchen appliances, living and dining room décor and furniture, and unopened beauty and cleaning products that you never bothered using.

Once you have emptied out shelves and cabinets, be sure to throw away unnecessary papers, pens, damaged magazines (but try to sell the good ones,) and miscellaneous parts that are broke and you don't have the need for anymore. Oftentimes, companies will specifically make a part for a certain item that can't be used on anything else. Loose change may be found in peculiar places as you pack, jar it and take it to a coin center that will count your money. Most of these machines can be found in grocery stores.

After you have parted with some of your belongings and got rid of the items you considered useless, you will want to decide on whether your new apartment will be able to accommodate the large sofa and chairs or the huge entertainment center you may have bought not that long ago. If you choose to sell it, then you will have additional space in your new place that you may need. However, if you don't, you may have to sacrifice something else. Some people will invest in storage, but is it really worth paying to store items that you just don't know when you will be able to get out? If you are renting furniture then you won't have to bother with storing or selling anything; however, you may want to consider losing the additional expense if you don't have any of the furniture nearly paid off (such as 3 to 6 months left on your bill until you own it.) If saving money is a priority, then avoid storing or renting items.

Think about turning off any unnecessary luxuries and keeping them turned off temporarily such as the cable package with all the extra movie channels or the Internet service. Allow yourself some time to get caught up on other bills before you have your service continued. Check your cell phone plan is it better than most? Could you save money by switching? Make the time to shop at stores that offer rewards for being their customer and use coupons at grocery stores that will double them. These attempts at saving money will provide you with the additional money to get caught up on bills, make small purchases for your new home, and save for emergencies. Make a promise to yourself that you will be more careful with how you spend your money in the future so that you may never have to downgrade to a smaller apartment again, because you can't afford the rent.

The last thing on your "to do" list once you have sorted and packed all the items you decided to keep, should be to purchase the items you will need to help you live organized and clutter free. The following list will help you decide what you will need to buy based on what you may or may not have.

Anything that can be mounted to the wall, get the mounts to do it. If you have no free storage room at your new apartment complex and you have a bike, mount it to a wall to make more room and keep the tires off the floor. Also, purchase a TV mount with a VCR or DVD section like the ones you may have seen at the doctor's office. They aren't cheap, but they will definitely provide you with the additional space that an entertainment center takes up.

Any books, CDs, or DVDs that you kept can be set on a wall shelf. Collectibles can also be placed in a curio cabinet or something similar that suspends to a wall. Photos in boxes may be sorted and placed in large picture frames and hung on walls. Keepsake mementos can be framed allowing you to get rid of old shoeboxes and photo albums. You can also create more space for your media by purchasing a traveling CD case and getting rid of the CD stand along with the jewel cases.

If you don't have a bed rail or box frame with drawers for a bed, then consider buying one. They will provide the extra storing space you will need for your bedroom items. For the bed rail frames, they will set your bed higher allowing space for plastic containers to be stored.

Don't cramp any of your rooms with useless whimsical furniture that can hold or store any additional items. Keep only the tables that can hold a lamp and some magazines or have drawers.

Don't go overboard with décor. Too many collectibles and décor will make your apartment feel crowded. If you aren't use to a lot of décor, don't start. In time you will have to dust those items and if you don't like to dust, don't get them.

Avoid the temptation to unpack anything that you know you don't need to use on a daily basis. Any large boxes that aren't being unpacked, you can always drape them with a pretty fabric (such as curtains) and make them as a corner table or nightstand in your bedroom. Another way to hide unpacked boxes is to suspend a curtain from the ceiling and hide items behind the curtain, now you have just created your own mini storage room.

Consider back of the door organizers for the bathroom and bedroom. Since drawer and shelf space may be limited, you may want to place your smaller items in the pockets. In the bathroom, if there is space over the toilet, use that space for additional shelving to store towels and washcloths. If you run out of drawer room above the sink, use shoebox containers to store additional items or a drawer organizer or bin for easy access to your grooming supplies.

The most chairs you may need for entertaining is two reading chairs in the living room, if you don't have the space for a large couch. This will also provide the space for your computer desk and office chair. Unless you must have a coffee table, keep it only if it has drawers they would be helpful to your storing needs. It isn't necessary to keep end tables unless you have the space for them. They can sometimes be more of a problem then a solution. When guest come over the tables tempt them to want to eat and drink in your living room increasing the risk for accidents that may stain the owner's carpet that you will have to eventually pay for out of your security deposit.
You may or may not have a dining room. If you do, then you will need at least one large cabinet that you could place your collectibles if it has a display case. If you don't have any collectibles to display, then purchase a cabinet with doors that you could store coats, umbrellas, hats and other outdoor apparel and sporting equipment.

Consider packing all of your keepsakes in those empty suitcases you will be storing in your bedroom. Since you won't be doing a lot of traveling, why have them in your closet empty? Organize your shoes with a shoe organizer. As for bulky items, the space saver bags that have been advertised on TV in the past will definitely come in handy.

In the kitchen, wall space can also be best used for large skillets and pans. Purchase hooks that can hold items inside the cupboard. The space over the sink could use a nice shelf to hold lighter items. Purchase shelving for seasonings if there is an empty wall near the stove. Extra kitchen utensils can be placed in casserole dishes or other large containers if you run out of drawer room. Keep only your best cleaning products, the ones that can be used on a variety of surfaces. Too many cleaners that only work for specific tasks can take up a lot of space in the bottom of your cabinet. Buy a very large plastic bowl, basket or rack to organize those items. You will need something that can remove all of your items under the sink at one time in case there are ever any leaks.

As you visit various stores, you will come up with more ways to make your apartment more organized and efficient. Remember to take this time to enjoy your new life and appreciate your new home no matter how small it may be. Think of the money you will be able to save in the future, hopefully for a down payment on a new home!

Nicholl McGuire