The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker

Updated: The winner is The Austell Family!

I have always tended to be more concerned about the functional when it comes to organizing and not so much the fabulous. It wasn't until I started reading Aby Garvey's blog, Creative Organizing, that I realized that those two things can in fact go hand in hand. Aby inspires me not with expensive organizing solutions but inexpensive ones that have been "touched up" with simple organizing supplies.

So when given the opportunity recently to read Aby's new book, The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker, I jumped at the chance.

Overwhelmed by creative clutter? With 26 years of combined experience, professional scrapbooker Wendy Smedley of Simple Scrapbooks and professional organizer Aby Garvey of simplify 101 will guide you through the process of creating your very own organized and inspired workspace. Overflowing with tips, quizzes, projects, and inspired scrapbook spaces, The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker will help you define your scrapbooking approach and discover how to organize your stash in ways that support your hobby. Plus, you will learn from the beautiful spaces of Stacy Julian, Renee Pearson, and other inspiring scrapbookers.

This book is by far the most beautiful book I have ever read. No kidding, the pictures are bright, colorful and just plain stunning. I was blown away. I'd love to just cut them all out and use them as art but that's probably not what Aby had in mind :)


The content is equally as delicious. Now to be honest I gave up scrapbooking in albums years ago however what I do enjoy doing is scrapbooking other things like composition books, pictures, gifts, etc. The nice thing about this book is, regardless of what kind of scrapbooker you are, it aids you in creating a functional AND fabulous workspace (no matter how big or small) designed to meet both your vision and your goals.

The more aware you are of the reasons you scrapbook, the easier it is for you to navigate through all the choices you face: which photos to use, which products to buy, how to organize your stuff, what stories to tell, and so on. Identify what truly inspires you and drives you and it will become your ultimate filter, laying the foundation for everything else. You can easily eliminate clutter by cutting out the supplies and ideas that get in the way of what you really want to accomplish.

Doesn't that sound exciting?! The book then goes on to help you do just that and even comes complete with a workbook (found in the pocket on the inside back cover) to help you pull it all together. You'll fill out short quizzes that will inspire you to create real and lasting change in your scrapbook space!


Section 1 ~ walks you through the eight components of a scrapbook and offers specific organization and storage solutions for each element

Section 2 ~ gives you an up-close look at the workspaces of a few successful and productive scrapbookers. Plus you'll learn how to select and incorporate the right organizing strategies for your space and your lifestyle.

Section 3 ~ you'll roll up your sleeves and get to work on inspiring projects for your workspace. Instructions to make the following are included:

Album Labels
Mini Quote Book
Photo Checklist
Mini Artwork Display
Journal Kit
Inspiration Statement Board
Magnetic Tin Labels
Seasonal Photo Box and dividers
Get-out-of-a-Rut Jar
Workspace Design File

The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker is indeed inspiring with it's step-by-step instructions and amazing visual impact which literally provides you with hundreds of organizing solutions in pictures for all your scrapbooking needs. From an organizer's point of view I definitely can't recommend this book enough.

And I'm so excited that Aby has offered to giveaway a copy of her book to one of you as well. Please leave a comment on this post before Monday, July 28th, 6:00 pst for your chance to win. Please also make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you. Thanks and good luck!!

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Meet the Organize It Mom!

Laurieann is a Professional Organizer turned WAHM mom who saw a need and set out to fill it. Her site, Organize It Mom, offers all sorts of products (that she creates herself!) to help you organize your days, your kids and your kid's toys.

I had the opportunity to try a few of these products myself and hands down my favorite were the toy labels. These are absolutely fantastic!

Each kit includes 18 toy labels laminated with removeable adhesive on the back of each label. The are bright and colorful and as you can see each one includes not only the word but a picture as well. In the picture below I've added the lego one to my son's lego storage container.

Now I know labels aren't really a necessity on the clear bins like above but it is especially helpful on the fabric bins like the ones I use in my playroom.


I'm definitely going to replace my labels with Laurieanns because hers will stand out so much better than mine do. I know it isn't too hard to make your own labels on your computer but what I know, as I know Laurieann does also, is that not everyone has the time to do so. For $5.00 a set even the busiest of moms can have clearly labeled toy bins. It is so important for kids to be able to see quickly and easily what goes where so that we aren't setting them up for failure. So great!

Another one of my favorite items that Laurieann makes is something that organizes your kids computer and TV time....coins called Media Money. Each little laminated coin designates 30 minutes of media time. I like that I can use these coins as rewards for good behavior or completed chores. Then when they use them to watch TV or play computer they turn them back into me. It's a great way to keep track of the time without it hurting your head trying to remember who did what when and for how long. They even come in different colors which is perfect for different kids.

For menu planning enthusiasts she offers a laminated menu planner as well as grocery list set that serves to save on paper. The menu planner has room to menu plan breakfast, lunch and dinner and the grocery list is conveniently broken down into grocery store sections making it very efficient. Simply write on and wipe off.

The Organize It Mom's charts , lists, cards and coupons are super fun and easy to use with professional quality colorful graphics. She has many other products listed on her site, too many to mention here, so you'll have to head on over and check out her site for yourself. I'm confident that you'll find something there to help you on your organizational journey.

I'm also super excited to announce that Laurieann has joined on as one of Org Junkie's Monthly Organizing Round-Up sponsors. Participating in the round-up gives you the opportunity to win an Organize It Mom prize package!

Lily On The Fly - A Menu Planning Resource - Enter to Win!

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Updated: This contest is now closed. The winner is chksngr!!

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I recently had the opportunity to review an excellent menu planning resource. It's called Lily On The Fly. This particular product is different than any I've seen before for menu planning and is definitely beneficial for the visual person. This system centers around the magnetized card holder that can be displayed on your refrigerator. It includes 7 clear slots, one for each day of the week. What goes into these slots are the handy dandy menu planning recipe cards that are also provided. On the front of each card are three sections listing cooking instructions, one for the night before, in the morning and put it all together. The shopping list for each meal is right on the back on each card conveniently listed in seven general grocery store areas. Look how colorful it is:

Once you have selected 7 cards to put into the slots you have a complete menu plan for the week and when you turn the holder over you have a complete grocery list going down the back. You can then transpose the grocery list to a piece of paper to take to the store with you, take the whole holder with you or even just pull out the cards and bring them with you that way.

Another option as Lily On The Fly suggests (and hence the name) is to keep the deck of cards in your purse and easily choose recipes right in the store as you think through your plans for the next few days, and what is on sale. I love how versatile it is!!

My girlfriend struggles with traditional menu planning but really loves this system because for her she loves her recipes all in one spot rather than having to keep track of them from different sources such as various cookbooks or the internet. That's too much hassle for her, this system streamlines the process for her.

The recipes look to be simple and easy to prepare and I love how each card shows a picture of the completed dish, a very nice touch! A list of the 36 recipes included in the starter kit can be found here. The starter kit retails for $27.95 but for the month of June you can get 15% of your order by using the code "Welcome Summer". Additional recipes packs are also available.

Lily On The Fly is giving away a Hearty Meals for Hungry Families Starter Kit today to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment below by Tuesday, June 10th at noon pst for your chance to win. If you are not a blogger please be sure to also include a valid email address.

Happy menu planning!!

The winner is......

The winner of the Internet Password Organizer is:

Darcie!

Internet Password Organizer + Giveaway

I received the Internet Password Organizer in the mail some time ago and I must be honest and say that I was a little skeptical about it at first. You see I already had a little notebook that I kept beside my laptop with all my passwords written in. I thought I was on top of it yet as I added more and more passwords to my notebook I was increasingly getting more and more frustrated trying to find the passwords that I needed. I do try to often use the same password but in many instances it just isn't possible. I also keep my business and personal emails and passwords completely separate which often creates many more username/password combinations than I have the brain capacity to remember.

However I really didn't know how time consuming all that page flipping in my little red notebook was until I started to use the Internet Password Organizer. You see what make the Internet Password Organizer so special is that it is alphabetized and that my friends makes me very, very happy! I am saving all sorts of time and hair pulling craziness now.

The organizer has a spiral binding that allows the book to open flat and also includes reinforced A-Z tabbed dividers with two letters per tab. Each space has room to record the webpage, username, password and notes. Normally the organizer sells for $19.99 but right now they have a 20% off Father's Day promotion going on when you use the coupon code "Dad".

This week I am also giving away a copy for one lucky reader! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post before Friday, May 23rd 11:59 pm pst to be entered. If you don't have a blog please remember to include your email address.

Good luck!

And the winner is........

I'm pleased to announce the winner of the book The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized is:

BrendaS (cornfreelady)

Congratulations Brenda and Happy Organizing!

The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized plus a giveaway!

As you know organizing is a passion of mine so I'm sort of embarrassed to admit that up until I started my blog I had never read an organizing book. I had no idea so much organizational goodness existed. Now one of the perks I have is the opportunity to review some of this goodness for you. The book I'm discussing today is called The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized by Christian author, Karen Ehman.



I'm not even going to beat around the bush on this one. I LOVED this book! This is not a book that talks down to you and makes you feel completely inadequate for not being organized. Not. At. All. Reading this book is like chatting with a girlfriend as she lovingly and gently shows you how to efficiently take care of the "have tos" so you have more time for the "want tos" - unhurried time with your husband, your children, your friends, and your God.

Karen's step by step approach to organizing not only gives you practical guidance on how to de-clutter your "stuff" but more importantly your life including schedules, commitments, priorities and routines. Karen covers it all in this book, she even has a whole chapter devoted to taming the paper clutter and another whole chapter dedicated to menu planning which is so important.

Here is a complete list of the book's table of contents:

1. Being Organized Means Being Prepared
2. Finding Your Organizational Personality
3. Kicking Out the Clutter
4. Maximizing Efficiency in Every Room
5. Combating Overcommitment
6. Taking Control of the Clock
7. Putting Paper in Its Place
8. Menu Planning and Shopping Strategies
9. Now You're Cookin'! (recipes, yay!)
10. Maintaining Your Home's New Order
    
11. Taking It Home, Making It Yours

I loved how she included a chapter on the maintenance part of organization. This is so crucial to any organizing success and I agree with Karen when she says "don't fall for the myth that once you organize your home, it will stay that way forever". Organizing is definitely an ongoing PROCESS that requires you to regularly re-evaluate and re-adjust your plan according to the season of the year or the season of your life.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Karen some questions that I'd like to share with you now. Karen's answers are in purple.

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Your book is so great and such an encouragement to women. What made you want to write a book on organizing?

I was actually hesitant to write a book on organizing. The last thing women need is a "My home and life are perfect and here's how yours can be too!" book. Often organizational books actually make women feel discouraged because, if they aren't living the same style life as the author, the methods they tout won't work. So, I decided that if I was to write a book, it would be one that would take into account personalities, lifestyles and children. Then it would walk women through how to set the bar where they'd like and to come up with a plan of attack that works for them.

Your teenage daughter's words of wisdom are sprinkled throughout the book. She seems very organized herself. You describe her as a formerly messy kid turned mostly tidy teenager. Can you explain how this transformation came to be?

Well, first I tried screaming, yelling, grounding, threats...all to no avail. She was a pre-teen girl with lots of "stuff", stuff she liked to display. Her room was off of our living room and I grew tired of the piles and junk. She grew tired of me nagging all of the time. And she felt that when I attacked her stuff, I was attacking who she was as a person. We came to a compromise and bought some cool baskets, and bins where she could stash her stuff. And, I also pulled a makeover on her room for her 13th birthday--totally retro and lime green and orange. It motivated her to want to keep it looking nice. Since then she has grown into a very tidy and organized girl!!

In the very first chapter you mention that being organized boils down to being prepared. Can you tell us why?

Life seldom happens the way we want it to. When we prepare in advance for what thing may occur, we can meet the challenges in a calm, collected way. Having a meal in the freezer for a friend who gets sick, taking a tote bag to the orthodontist's office filled with note cards, stamps and our address book so we can catch up on thank you notes, having you child's medical info handy for those ER visits etc.. I really think that being prepared is much more important than being neat!

In your book you encourage women to avoid getting overwhelmed in their organizational efforts by focusing on just ONE area for a few weeks or months. Only once they have formed new habits in that area and the skills have become part of their regular routine should they move on to tackle another area. I couldn't agree more with this and am wondering what one area you feel women should concentrate on first and why?

I say tackle your piles and de-junk your home first. It will motivate you and give you a sense of calm. Then you can tackle other areas such as managing your time, planning your meals, shopping, laundry routines, etc... When our surroundings are de-cluttered and in order, we can think clearer.

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You can find Karen through Proverbs 31 Ministries as well as her blog. Her book is available for purchase through Amazon.

Thank you Karen for writing this amazing book as well as offering to give away a free copy to one of my readers. To enter simply leave a comment on this post (be sure to leave a valid email address) by Monday, April 14th at 11:59 pm pst and then I'll draw one random winner on April 15th.

Happy Organizing!!