List Plan It

Updated: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to our winners, Jessica from Life as Mom and Fenella from Owen & Brando!!

Are you feeling overwhelmed with life?

Are you having trouble remembering everything you have to do with so much on the go?

Are you stressed?

Then maybe it's time for what I affectionately call a brain dump.

Take all that information that you have swirling around in your head to do, to make, to take, to go, to buy, to schedule, to plan and get it all down on paper. Once it's down on paper you don't have to exhaust yourself trying to remember it all anymore.

Lists are the ultimate brain dumping tool. Rather than having one great big running list of everything though why not have a variety of lists to help you group and organize the various tasks you have to accomplish.

Yet maybe the thought of creating all those lists seems overwhelming in itself to you.

Not to worry because Jennifer of List Plan It can help you with that.

With a membership to this site you will never want for another list again. My gosh there is a directory of over 300 printable lists and planning pages!! Every list imaginable to help you get organized, now that's what I call service.

The membership fee for a three month subscription, which allows you access to all these lists, is only $9.95. That's a great deal. However if you'd rather not commit to a 3 month subscription Jennifer also offers another great option.

Downloadable ePlanners group multiple lists in convenient category packages for you for only $4.95 each. For instance if you're only interested in lists to do with the organizing and managing of your home you could simply download the Home ePlanner and have access to all the applicable home lists instantly. Easy as that!


Jennifer's lists are easy to use and concise and I can't recommend them more highly for managing your house, your family and your life.

I'm happy to announce that TWO lucky readers will each win a 3 month subscription just by commenting on this post by Monday, August 18th at 6:00 pm pst. Good luck!!

Have you had a brain dump lately?

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

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!

***********

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

***********

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!