3 of the best Organising Blogs

As I said in my previous post, I've recently felt an intense desire to get my house in order. So much has happened over the past few months and so much is about to change, I think it's probably down to a need to feel more in control. My normally super efficient self is floundering under the pressure so I'm having to utilise more tools in order to make sense of it all!

Image: HappyKnappy / Freedigitalphotos.net

If you asked anyone at my publishing company, they would tell you I was Miss Organisation herself. I have lists, spreadsheets and systems for everything. If you saw my home, it's quite a different story! But I do enjoy organising. I do enjoy creating systems and making everything 'just so'. So much so, that I enjoy reading about other people's systems and adapting them to my life too! Here's my top three organising blogs at the moment:

I Heart Organising

This blog combines the seemingly mundane with the pretty to make organising seem like the most fun. Everything is geared towards making the home a more efficient and organised place, seriously, this lady has systems for everything! I also love her interiors ideas, making organising solutions a practical and natural part of your decor. Jen designs the cutest printables (many of which I use myself) so that you can adopt her systems too. Plenty of them are free, or you can purchase customised versions and packs from her shop.

I'm an Organising Junkie

Although this blog hasn't been updated in a while, it's still definitely worth a look purely because of the amount of resource that remains on the site. Whether you want to kick into action Laura's 52 week challenge or you want to get in on Menu Planning Monday, there's sure to be something that you'll find useful and inspiring. As soon as I move into my new flat and we adopt a few new routines with new shopping habits, I'm intending on getting involved in menu planning. There's also a good few printables here that will help you put your plans into action!

Tip Junkie

Tip Junkie is vast and covers tips for everything you could possibly need in life. But if it's organising you're after, check out the 'Organize' section. This site will mainly direct you to anywhere on the web that has cool organising ideas and printables so it's a great way to find new blogs and friends. Check out Tip Junkie Printables as well for plenty of list-making candy!

Also of note:

I only stumbled upon The Nest Effect the other day but I fully intend on having a proper browse. Love the design. Love the organising and love the crafts. This is a girl after my own heart!

Evernote. Ever found yourself scribbling important bits of information in various different places? Got 10 notebooks for 10 different areas of life, plus a mixture of digital reminders and favourite websites saved between work and home? Never fear! I use Evernote to keep everything in one place. I can log in from work or home and it also synchs with my android phone so wherever I am, I can make a note and come back to it. If I find a website I love, I clip it to my account, or if I want to write a blog post on the move, I write it in Evernote so that I can come back to it on my home computer later. This tool, is seriously a lifesaver!

So, there you have it, five sites that I use and read on a regular basis to keep organised (and to gawp at cute things!).

(Just so you know, I link to these sites because I love them and find them useful, I haven't been paid or bribed in any way!)

Life in a Folder

I've been wanting to get a Filofax for ages. I cleared out my bottomless handbag the other day, and in amongst the knitting, magazines, make-up and old receipts I dug out a grand total of six notebooks. Six! All with different purposes!! Time to get organised and have everything filed in one place I think! So at the weekend I treated myself to a Domino Filofax. A very reasonable price and my favourite colour! Perfect!

I had to restrain myself in buying all the different inserts! But I did purchase an extra set of notepaper, because I tend to make an awful lot of lists and take a lot of notes! Unfortunately the diary doesn't start until the beginning of July, so I have to wait to insert all my plans, but I did immediately set to work in making lots of lists and separating them into categories! (Oh the geekiness!). Here's my things to do....
... and my spending record - please ignore the two (2?!) entries for Starbucks, I have no idea how that happened! Anyway, on the whole am feeling a lot more organised, and my handbag is feeling a lot lighter!

Updates :0)

Budget update
Saved money on different items over the weekend so any area that I had over-spent on is now evened out so we're back on track!

Jane Austen update
Loving Sense and Sensibility! Got through four chapters today! Jane Austen writes her characters so well, even though it is set hundreds of years ago I can still see aspects of her characters in people I know today. It's uncanny!

Health & Fitness update
Unfortunately I haven't managed a lot of activity as yet. I can't run around my area while it's dark so I have to leave that one for Saturdays. And the Pilates? I can honestly say I haven't been at home properly since Saturday (sometimes I feel like I just sleep here!). BUT now I'm back at work I'm drinking a lot more water which makes me feel so much better!

Being organised
I love it! I love the feeling of crossing something off my list. In fact, this evening I did such a lot of housework and worked really hard, but then when I opened my diary, none of what I had done was on my list! And I felt a bit gutted that I couldn't cross anything off! And all of this productivity at home has had an awesome effect on my work. I was dreading returning to work because we are on deadline this week and in studio with another mag so I was sure I would be rushed off my feet - not to mention I had to write a whole feature before Friday too! But then because of all my organising I felt so ready to go back to work and I went through the whole day with no distractions and finished every piece of work I had left to do! Now I just have to tie up a few loose ends and hey presto! All my work is done! I love that feeling!

Area 4: Becoming more Organised

At work I am super-organised. My desk-top diary is full of lists and tick charts which are all colour coded using my trusty highlighter pens. Everything that lives on, in or around my desk has a dedicated home and I regularly throw away items that are of no use, avoiding the build up of clutter.

My personal life is surprisingly a totally different story! I always have a whole bunch of things that I 'should' or 'need' to do - whether that be home chores, church organisation (I am a leader on two teams which keeps me fairly busy), or general life stuff really. Some things are big tasks like my wedding album (16 months down the line and the photos are still in a box with an album nearby never fulfilling its purpose!). Or small tasks, like sending a text to my team reminding them of an up-coming event.

I run around, always leaving things til the last minute, or letting them build up until everything just seems massive. I get stressed really easily and it's probably because I have a lot to do within a short space of time.

So, I have bought myself a diary:

I've decided that if I can work towards organising my personal life in the same way I organise my work life then I'll be a huge step further towards super-organised! I will fill it with 'Things to do' lists, and will highlight each item as I do it until the whole pae is neon pink. (I love it at work when a whole page of my diary turns pink!). Also noted will be important dates, like when my credit card payment is due, what I spend my money on and what my budget allows me for that day.

This is what today looks like:

Hmmm, still a fair amount to do then?!

Goals:

- Anything that can be done immediately, do immediately! You can send texts and answer messages anywhere, why don't you?!
- Write everything, even the smallest things, into the list so you don't forget.
- If something doesn't get done, just transfer it to another day's list - it doesn't have to be the next day, do it when it's convenient and when you have time.
- Don't burn out! It's ok to leave less urgent things 'til tomorrow if you're tired. Curl up with a book instead.

Budgeting Update

So it's a slippery slope isn't it? Today I met a friend for coffee, which turned into lunch and then bought a magazine... spending a total of £16 that's not in the budget. Still not in the danger zone but this needs to stop. Once I go back to work On Monday it'll be easier as my social life will have to cease!