http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogList.asp?sort=organizer&schedule=1 From credit card statements to Post-Its®, birthday party invitations to oil change coupons, expense reports to dental appointment cards, our modern lives and horizontal surfaces are overrun with paper. We're not sure what happened to that paperless office we were promised at the dawn of the computer revolution, but the more we go digital, the more paper we have. OnlineOrganizing.com's Paper Doll helps make sense of what papers to keep, where to keep them and for how long, and will offer some solutions and observations about winning the 21st century paper chase. These tips will even help you keep more of those little green pieces of paper everyone likes so much. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:45:01 EST en-us http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3584 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3584 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST Paper Doll knows you're keeping track of a lot of information. Chances are good that you use a digital device for jotting down notes on the run. Digital is dandy...except in a downpour. If it's raining or snowing, a non-digital alternative is often preferable. That said, paper isn't always the best way to deal with the problem, either. Rain. Fog. Snow. Humidity. All of these make it pretty difficult to organize your thoughts without ink bleeding through a mess of soggy papers. And ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3595 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3595 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST Welcome to the Winter 2012 edition of the Paper Doll Organizing Carnival! As I mentioned back in September , this periodic series will give us a chance to discuss some of the more quixotic and delightful items related to paper and organizing. PAPER DOLL'S PAPER DOLLS In The Sentimental Stuff: A Photo or Portrait Can Sometimes Replace a Thing , the magnificent Jeri Dansky illustrates how one kind of paper -- a photographic representation of an item -- can preserve an emotional ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3590 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3590 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST LIST LOVE It's a common practice that when you want to be productive, you make a list. A grocery list. A packing list. A to-do list. What's a recipe except a list of ingredients followed by a list of tasks? What's an instruction manual except an ordered list of behaviors for achieving the optimum outcome? List-making has always been popular, even among celebrities whom you might think would have "people" for that. ( Paper Doll likes to imagine that "Meet Paper Doll " is on ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3555 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3555 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST The issue of expired coupons in last week's post prompted a flurry of reader email . It's time to admit why Paper Doll has generally avoided blogging about coupons. It's certainly not because I fail to appreciate bargains. My reticence has more to do with what I see as the Coupon-Industrial Complex. GOING TO EXTREMES Whole web sites are devoted to an increasingly complex series of coupon-related grocery store challenges, and TLC has elevated Extreme Couponing to a national ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3575 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3575 Tue, 3 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST Happy New Year, Paper Doll readers! January is designated National Get Organized Month. To help you get started on the road to organization without causing the old January Gym Membership Effect , today's post gives you tiny, easily-digestible tips for achieving organization without pulling any muscles or becoming overwhelmed. SHOW 2011 PAPERS TO THE EXIT Holding on to paper you don't need builds clutter. Go from room-to-room, zone-to-zone, purse-to-bookbag and isolate the paper ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3579 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3579 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. ~Søren Kierkegaard After six weeks of frenzied counting down the days, we're in that fuzzy stage when the Advent calendars have been put a way, NORAD's Santa Tracker has been reset, and we're running out the clock on the final days of the year. The end of the calendar can make us feel like we're peering over the precipice into the great unknown. WHAT DOES YOUR CALENDAR MEAN TO YOU? For those of us ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3569 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3569 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST By popular request, Paper Doll is revisiting (and updating) a favorite topic: dealing with the clutter of incoming charitable giving requests. Have you noticed that in the weeks since Thanksgiving, your mailbox is as fully and robustly overstuffed as you were in the late-night hours preceding Black Friday? Your postal carrier is struggling and your daily mail piles are exhibiting a growth spurt. It's not just ads and coupons, inveigling you to spend your precious little ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3560 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3560 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST What are the best gifts to give to prevent clutter? As a professional organizer, I think that the best gifts aren't things at all. They're experiences. There's even academic research from various studies to back this up, including those funded by the National Science Foundation and one conducted by professors from Cornell University (my alma mater!) and the University of Colorado. The findings? That experiences (like vacations and concerts) are more likely to bring a ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3559 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3559 Tue, 6 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST Readers, last week we explored ways to keep all the wrapping paper, ribbons and supplies of the holiday season...under wraps. Today, we're going to examine some alternatives to using traditional rolls of wrapping paper to help you accomplish multiple goals at once: Decorate your gifts with festive, attractive (or at least serviceable) wrapping without purchasing new paper. Save money. Reduce your carbon footprint and protect the environment a bit. Solve wrapping ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3542 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3542 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST When we talk about paper clutter, we're usually discussing functional paper -- files, coupons, contracts, insurance policies, and papers that trigger activities we have to perform. Rarely do we have a serious discussion about paper that, while serving a purpose, is mainly aesthetic in nature. Until the holidays, that is, and then all the rules change. Do you find yourself searching under beds and in the backs of closets, trying to locate the right piece of wrapping paper to fit an ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3550 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3550 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST Dearest Readers: Whether you're heading to Grandma's house for a traditional family holiday or jetting off to a hedonistic, sun-filled long weekend, don't be so quick to run out the door. Before you step one foot into a plane, train or automobile, here are a few tips to keep you organized so that next Monday, you won't feel quite as anxious Tom Turkey feels today. Little Turkey Baby Costume @ Chasing Fireflies (OK, this little turkey doesn't look anxious, but ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3548 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3548 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST Last week , we looked at Eat Your Books , a recipe indexing web site designed to help you find the exact recipe you need amid the cookbook clutter in your household. That had me flipping through the Paper Doll archives in search of what we've discussed previously about organizing cookbooks and recipes. I was surprised to find that we haven't touched on the issue since 2007. So, it's time to update our recipe for eliminating cookbook clutter and recipe rubbish! Today's post ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3547 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3547 Tue, 8 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST Thanksgiving is a little over two weeks away, and myriad holiday dinners, open houses and parties are just beyond. People are starting to think about recipes, and that left Paper Doll shocked to realize that it's been more than four years since we tackled the issue of organizing cookbooks. A full-scale review of the importance and methods of downsizing recipe clutter is on the way, but today we'll be looking at an intriguing way to augment organizing your cookbooks. Eat Your ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3544 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3544 Tue, 1 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST Are you part of the 99%? No, this post isn't a political diatribe about the pros or cons of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The movement Paper Doll cares about is the desirable movement of clutter out of your spaces and the unwanted movement of money out of your bank accounts. If you're like most people, maybe even up to 99% of people, chances are good that your bank account is being eaten up by fees. That's definitely not the way to keep your finances organized! You see, ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3540 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3540 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST I was never much for field trips. The Williamsville, NY school district had a penchant for taking us on field trips to farms. I guess they figured that suburban kids had a strong need to see silos and cows. I visited Tifft Farms Nature Preserve so many times in elementary school that I could probably lead a workshop on the proper method of tapping maple syrup in the rain. (As room mother, Paper Mommy came on a lot of these field trips. One senses she, too, was not entirely enamored of the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3536 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3536 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST Readers, as I mentioned last week in the Paper Doll 4th Anniversary post, I've been looking forward to spilling the beans on this product's launch ever since this year's NAPO Conference and Expo . The new collection -- which I'd previously left unnamed because information about the product was embargoed -- even made it into the I Feel Pretty edition of my post-conference recap, albeit with a big stamped on the post. Since April, friends, fans and Paper Mommy ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3534 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3534 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST It's hard to believe that I've been providing strategies and advice for getting your paper organized for four years . In the past year, we've covered everything from the Gift Card Revolution to common paper management mistakes , from organizing and dealing with tax paperwork to bill-paying strategies . We've talked about how not to be listless and how to adjust the vertical hold. I love each bit of research that goes into my posts. This weekend, for example, I ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3533 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3533 Tue, 4 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST Paper Doll certainly does love to read. When you love reading (books, magazines, newspapers, love letters, cereal boxes, etc.), it can be hard to avoid building up clutter -- papers expand beyond the set boundaries of shelves and cabinets and take on lives of their own. In the past, I've written multiple posts about how to keep book clutter at bay , including: Reducing Book Clutter (Part 1): Book Rentals for Grownups Reducing Book Clutter (Part 2): Book Rentals for Kids Reducing ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3462 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3462 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST Hello, Boys and Girls! Do you know about the Schumer Box? It's named after Chuck Schumer. Do you know who Mr. Schumer is? Uh, no. Actually, that's Mr. Shuester from Glee . He's very pretty and does a mean Singin' in the Rain. But this is Chuck Schumer: Yes, I know, it's easy to confuse the two. It helps to know that Mr. Shue (as the Glee kids call him) tends to wear sweater vests and break into Broadway show tunes. As far as Paper Doll knows, Senator Chuck ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3466 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3466 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST Paper Doll loves her readers, so today's post is all about goodies -- freebies, coupons and special opportunities to try out something that can help you organize your life while saving money. We begin with our old friends at Smead, who are making available free samples of their SuperTab® Folders to those who click on a special link. Smead attempted to make it really simple for bloggers and social networkers to spread the word about this freebie, but longtime Paper Doll ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3477 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3477 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST As I mentioned last time , this post launches a periodic series, the Paper Doll Organizing Carnival , to share a variety of serious and silly, fascinating and quirky blog posts, news stories and other items I hope will be of interest to you. There's no dress code for the carnival (no beads, no silly hats), but I should note that one reader was kind enough to send in this Neatorama link for the Paper Pattern Stilettos by Jennifer Collier to help set a stylish tone for this new ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3476 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3476 Tue, 6 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST As I write this post over Labor Day weekend, I'm reminded of summers gone by, and of the kinds of things people do during the summer (when they're not joyously organizing their homes and offices), including going to fairs and carnivals. I'll admit, while I think of myself as a fair person, I'm not exactly a FAIR person, if you know what I mean. Fairs just don't get me excited. Indeed, PaperMommy used to note that, "There's a reason they don't call it the Erie ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3471 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3471 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST Longtime readers of Paper Doll know that my Family Files system fits every piece of personal reference paperwork under a simple rubric of financial, legal, medical, household and personal categories. While, as I explained last week , business files are governed by a series of regulations and obligations specific to each profession and locale, the categories of business filing still remain quite similar: Financial Legal Marketing Operational Personal FAMILY FILES vs. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3470 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3470 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST As a professional organizer, I work with clients in all areas of their homes and offices. While any given day might find me organizing kitchens or supply closets, my heart belongs to paper. Indeed, after a first session, I often email clients links to the Family Files blog posts so they can get (almost) as excited I am about organizing their papers: Family Filing—As easy as (eating) pie Financial Filing—Scrapbooking snapshots of your money's life Mom, why is there a receipt ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3468 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3468 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST Here at Paper Doll Central, we tend to fixate on personal paperwork -- the documents that keep us financially and legally on the straight and narrow, medically protected and personally safe and fulfilled. We also focus on the papers keeping our homes and possessions well-tended. Sometimes, the business side of things gets short shrift. Over the next few posts, we're going to delve into some topics to help professionals cover their paper bases. Today, we start with emergency ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3371 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3371 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST Here at Paper Doll Central, we may surround ourselves with solutions to paper clutter, but we dream about traveling around the world, particularly to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. (Yes, I do intend to travel alphabetically. Doesn't everyone?) One of the travel-related VIP (Very Important Paper) topics we've covered involves passports. For example, we've discussed them in: "May We See Your Papers?": Passport Cards and Trusted Travelers "May We See Your Papers?" ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3453 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3453 Tue, 2 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST Dear Paper Doll: I admit, I'm a fashionista. My mobile phone has pretty skins so I can make it match my outfits. I try to be digital, but some of my life (OK, a lot of my life), including my family stuff and work stuff, exists on paper and I spend a lot of my time going to meetings in other locations. I need something stronger than a file folder, prettier that those brown accordion files that lawyers use and neater than tossing it all into my bag. Help me be mobile without being a mess! ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3461 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3461 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST Recently, a loyal reader wrote in to inquire if I ever get tired of organizing paper, and wanted to know what other things are going on at Paper Doll Central when I'm not writing this blog. As to the first question, I have to admit, I'm a geek. I really do love organizing all kinds of paper, and probably wouldn't get bored even if I were setting up family filing systems every day of the week. As for what else I'm doing during this wacky heat wave, you might expect that ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3457 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3457 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST It's the end of an era . Last week, the Bureau of Public Debt announced that effective January 1, 2012, financial institutions will no longer sell paper savings bond certificates . This move is in alignment with the U.S. Department of Treasury's initiative towards all-electronic transactions, as announced in April 2010. It's estimated that eliminating "over-the-counter" paper certificate sales will save $70 million over the course of the next five years. Indeed, as of ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3444 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3444 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST When we talk about organizing our paperwork, we usually think of employing horizontal space : desktop file boxes, traditional filing cabinets, hanging file milk crates stacked on the floor or arrayed along windowsills and counters, and so on. Even my beloved tickler file , which can be stored vertically, is usually maneuvered onto a desktop or into an in-tray. Sure, there's always some lip-service paid to using open filing on shelves, such as how medical and dental ...