Managing your Mail Clutter - Clutter Free Kitchen Benches

I see this all the time, lots of junk mail piled up on kitchen benches - and most of it won’t be read. Here are a few quick tips to help start managing your mail clutter.

• When you bring the mail in from the mail box, open it straight away (standing over the bin), throwing out the envelopes and any junk mail and magazines. Don’t sit the mail on the bench and  say “I will come back and sort it out later”.
• Ask yourself, will “I really read this catalogue or newspaper”?
• Once you have a pile of relevant mail you then need to decide what action to take. Many people like to keep catalogues, saying that they will read it later, but they never do. And then the pile of magazines just keeps piling up. You need to ask yourself whether you will really read it.
• You also need to set a timeframe in which you must read the item and then throw out. Take the mail out of the kitchen and into your “office” Space.
• If your kitchen bench is going to be clutter free, it is really important to get into a good habit about managing your mail. Good habits will ensure a clutter free kitchen bench.

By Natalie Morey

Organising your Birthday Card Mail-outs

Do you find that you are always sending birthday cards late, or forget altogether? Here are a few tips to ensure you never miss a birthday again.

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  Write a list of all your family and friends birthday dates (remember to also record the year the person was born. That way you will know when it’s a “special” birthday).
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  Purchase a selection of birthday and special occasion cards at the beginning of each year and file them in a box in the relevant categories e.g. adult male birthday, adult female birthday, girls birthday, boys birthday, engagement ect. (It’s also a good idea to keep a selection of new baby cards, just in case. That way you always have a card ready for any occasion).
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  Purchase a book of 20 stamps and envelopes to match.
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  Check your birthday planner each month, then write and mail the cards.
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  It’s also a good idea to keep a “present box” with a selection of presents. You can pick up presents when you’re out shopping. This means you’re always organised and avoid those last minute and often rushed shopping trips.

By Natalie Morey

Weekly Menu Planner

It you are struggling to plan weekly meals then this menu planner is perfect for you. The Kikki-K menu planner is a great resource and will save you lots of time and help you get organised for the week.

The 7 day Meal Planner has room for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. Use it as a family meal planner, plan for healthy meals, specific allergies and more.

The planner will save you lots of stress. Once you've planned the meals for the week you can use the kikki.K “Shopping List” to list down the groceries to buy and head to the shops. For more information on the Kikki-K menu planners and other great products click on this link: http://www.kikki-k.com/shop/product/meal-planner-green/

Remember, to keep the weekly menu planners after the week has finished. They can be re-used every couple of weeks, which saves you even more time. If your kids think they are mini master chefs, then get them to do a day or two of the menu planning. They could also help with the shopping or preparation of the food. If it’s there great idea, they are more likely to eat the food.

Cannot find my files!!

Do you just save stuff anywhere on your computer? It will save you time (and I mean lots of time) if you write up a simple filing structure. I hear you say, "but where do I start?" A good strategy is to decide on two main categories that all your files will fit into. For example it might be “Household” and “Personal”. Then create as many folders as you require under each of the household and personal categories. Keep it simple to be effective!

The most effective filing system is simple and easily achievable. It’s the one that is written down on paper and agreed to. Whatever structure you implement in your home office it will work best when it’s consistent and followed by everyone in your business/family.

And to take it one step further – mirror/copy your computer systems filing and replicate it in your hard copy system. Type up a list of your filing system, print it out and hang it in view of your computer and files. You will have consistent filing systems in both electronic and hard copy in no time at all!

By Melissa Morey