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Thursday, January 30, 2014

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UHeart Organizing: Paper Eliminating Apps!

I am excited to welcome back my superfab contributing team in 2014, and also introduce you to the newest member, Beth! 

It is no secret that I have been dragging my feet when it comes to using my gadgets and technology for organizational purposes.  I love to organize.  I love technology.  Really I should marry the two right?

Considering I have little experience utilizing technology to better my life, yet that is the way the world is essentially moving, I invited Beth to join the IHeart Organizing team.  She loves to make use of her gadgets to streamline her day to day lifestyle, and I am beyond excited to have her here sharing all of her tips and favorite apps with us.

Beth is a wife, mom, freelance writer and PR/Marketing Consultant.  You can find her sharing her sharing her awesomeness at The Little Magpie, The Food Adventuress, Magpie Marketing and Arkansas Life.  And now IHeart Organizing as well!  Today, she is here to chat about apps that help her on her quest to live a paperless life.  So please, give a warm IHeart Organizing welcome to the darling Beth!




Hey there, organizers!   I'm Beth, and I'm delighted to join the IHeart Organizing lineup this year.  Like so many of you, I'm on a constant quest to better organize my life so that I have time for the things that really matter.

As the years go by, it becomes increasingly obvious to me that the areas of my life that are controlled and organized bring me the most pleasure (or, the highest ratio of days that include feet propped up in the bubble bath, reading a good book, hiking with my family or enjoying a glass of wine with my husband).  Conversely, the areas of my life that consistently feel chaotic, disorganized and behind the eight ball are the top contributors to my stress.

So, suffice it to say that I've been an enthusiastic reader of IHeart Organizing for quite some time.  However, there is one area of my organizing style that's just a little bit different from many of the posts I've read here at IHeart: while I adore organized cuteness, binders, labels, mason jars and gallery walls as much as the next gal, I'm also a big fan of organizing with technology!

In fact, I'm going to just say this out loud: I am on an obsessive, multi-year quest to eliminate useless paper from my life.   I want less junk in my mailbox, fewer paper stacks on my desk and a shortage of decade-old magazines gathering dust on my shelves (despite my affliction with vintage and the fact that I actually contribute frequently to magazines)!  Anyone with me?

Excellent.  Allow me to share a few amazing tools that you just might need in your life.  And please: keep posting those gorgeous projects with labels, mason jars and gallery walls... even the organizing app lovers like me are drooling over them!  Without further ado, here are a few tools to eliminate scraps of paper from your life, focusing on three of the most common sources.


Paper Culprit #1 - Small Humans

While I love seeing special pieces of art and keeping up with my kids and their progress at school, I feel absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of paper that education institutions generate… it just never ends.  Hope springs eternal in my heart that this will change in my lifetime, but for now, I have implemented coping mechanisms.

Everyone has different degrees of sentimental feelings. I do love keeping a select few pieces of my kids’ art, but most of the worksheets and quick drawings head quickly to the recycling bin. We used to use family binders - one per kid per school year.  Regardless of whether you have an adorable binder, box or portfolio for physically keeping your kids’ artwork, I strongly suggest scanning it.  The digital versions can be used for craft projects or just archiving, and you can even take a photo of the child proudly holding up their work.  Even worksheets are fun to save because there are always some humorous responses!


The best tool in my book for this task is Artkive.  You’ll be able to set up a “folder” for each kid and then file work by age, grade and other details.  Plus, the Artkive shop is specifically set up for printing gifts such as a book of artwork for grandparents and other items to preserve all those masterpieces. You can also automatically share their creations with family members or to social media.

Last year, we even took photos of our oldest daughter’s end of year project for the Reach program - so fun!

Artkive is available for iOS and Android (free). Alternative: Art My Kid Made, which I am digging for its compatibility with Evernote (more on that soon!) - iOS (free).


Paper Culprit #2 - The Quest for Food

While there are a lot of papers that enter our lives and are worth keeping (I loved the greeting card organizer in the link party post earlier this week), there are approximately a million more that are completely irrelevant: and frankly, I would rather they never existed in my house at all!  High on that list are grocery lists - I don’t even want cute ones hanging around!

Plus, it’s very common for me to be out near a store and find a pocket of time - while the list is still hanging on the fridge. So, this was another great area of my life to go digital.   My absolute favorite (after trying many options) is Ziplist - it syncs across my Macbook, iPad and iPhone so that I (or family members) can sit down near the kitchen and add dozens of items while planning meals for the week, or just quickly add items on the fly into my phone.


If you’ve thought about going the digital route with your grocery list, now is the time to let your inner nerd/über-organizer flag fly high. Ziplist gets lots of bonus points because I can add items by store and even sort them by the appropriate aisle.  That means I can keep separate shopping lists within the app for the grocery store, hardware/home store, even articles of clothing or vintage items I’ve been on the lookout for (which always escape my mind when I’m standing in the actual store).

Two great examples of the power of an electronic versus paper grocery list:

Vacation:  On our last beach vacation, we stayed in some lovely state park cabins and fell in love.  However, their version of “fully stocked” and mine were very different (I consider dish soap, chopped garlic and salt & pepper essential).  So when I made a list before heading to the {pricey!!} grocery store to stock up, I made it a permanent list in my collection and titled it Vacay.  In a few short months when we head to that sweet cabin again, I’ll know exactly which basics are worth picking up more cheaply here at home and packing along with us.

Holidays:  Normally, I work from a consistent list of our traditional holiday recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I shop as far in advance for those grocery items as possible.   This year, a combination of chaotic work projects and inclement weather had me dropping by a grocery store on the fly.   If that window had presented itself and I were a paper list keeper, I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of it - but instead, I just pulled up my standard Thanksgiving ingredient list, skipped the items I knew I had in the pantry and knocked it out in an hour.  Victory!

The Ziplist website also prompts you for items you might need based on past purchases, and there is a downloadable recipe clipper for your browser.

Ziplist is available for iOS and Android (free). Alternatives: Our Groceries - iOS, Android (free), Buy Me A Pie - iOS, Android (free), Out Of Milk - iOS, Android (free), Grocery IQ - iOS, Android (free).


Paper Culprit #3 - The Daily Grind

Here's another confession: I need a checklist for everything.  I mean, everything.  Without the ability to check things off every morning, I would wander the barren landscape of my home seeking coffee and a little direction. I kid you not... my brain does not have the capacity to remember the simple things such as take vitamin, start laundry and unload dishwasher.  Seriously.

Laugh if you may, but I know there are more of you out there like me!  I want to get up, look at a checklist and start marking things off so that I don't end up in my PJs (I work from home) with my teeth unbrushed and staring off into space when my husband comes home at 5 o'clock.  Enter the Routines app by Coopla:


It's genius because it keeps all of these paltry tasks out of your actual to-do list with errands and tasks that are less consistent and predictable (drop dry-cleaning, pick up supplies for a kid's school project).  Add the things that you do - or want to do - every morning, afternoon, evening, weekly on Mondays and even monthly (sharpen knives) or annually (optometrist appointment).

I've even got my zones set up in the monthly section, keeping me on top of deep cleaning the kitchen during the first week of the month, living spaces - second week, bathrooms - third week, bedrooms - fourth week, other spaces (only needed a few times a year) - fifth week.  This ensures that the whole house is tackled by the end of each month.

Best of all, you can force your tasks to clear at midnight so that you've got a beautiful, clean new list of tasks to tackle again tomorrow... and who doesn't love to check things off?   {Me, ME! I love to check things off!!}

The Routines app by Coopla is available for iOS ($2.99). Note: tasks are not synced across devices; however, most users tend to grab one particular device to cruise through daily chores, so this is not a huge issue. Alternative: HomeRoutines for iOS - works well with FlyLady systems.  To ensure you don’t get a bunch of to do/task apps, search your app marketplace for “home routines” or “daily chores.”



"I’m Beth, a freelance writer and PR/marketing consultant living in a 1905 house in northwest Arkansas that could have starred in the 80's film The Money Pit.  Fortunately, I'm married to a man capable of tackling everything from plumbing and electrical disasters to reincarnating hardwood floors, and he keeps the place livable for us and our two daughters, Sophie and Ainsley.  Like so many others, I vacillate between incredibly organized {see: my alphabetized spice rack and neat living room} and embarrassingly disastrous {see: my closet and The Room We Do Not Enter}.  I have an affliction with words and ideas, so I churn out the excess at The Little Magpie and The Food Adventuress and through my business, Magpie Marketing in addition to writing about food, wine, travel and the treasures of my home state for publications such as Arkansas Life.  I love emerging technology and you'll find me first in line to try new apps and gadgets.  I'll share the best tools to keep your life on track here at IHeart Organizing!  


84 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips! I'll have to try to eliminate some of the paper in my life! :)

    AJ | TheAJMinute

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  2. Can you recommend me a home routines app for android?

    Thank you.

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    1. Berta, here are a few options:

      http://www.appszoom.com/android_themes/ringtones/routine-reminders-widget_cghee.html

      https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.othelle.flylady&hl=en

      http://www.mediabistro.com/appnewser/app-toolbox-for-housecleaning_b22738

      Hope you find something that works well for you!

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  3. These ideas are wonderful! I just got my phone and didn't even know how organized I can be with it. Can't wait to try them.

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    1. Yay, Linda! That's great - best of luck on your quest! :)

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  4. I have been too trying to use technology to manage clutter and my two favorites (and they are FREE!) are Pepperplate and Remember the Milk (basic). Pepperplate is all things food…meal planning, recipes, shopping lists, etc. Love it! Remember the Milk is a mega checklist that you can categorize and sync with other apps. Check those out :)

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    1. Great additions! I've used Remember the Mil in the past as well. I've found that I have to try several different versions of apps before I find the one that suits me perfectly. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I use Paprika to organize recipes and plan my menu. If you search within the app you can save recipes from hundreds of websites in one place and I've even located many recipes I clipped from magazines years ago. I find the menu planning feature easy to use and it all syncs between my phone and iPad. I still use paper for my grocery list though after deleting my list TWICE while trying to hold my phone and shop!

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    1. Thanks, Tonya! I've checked out Paprika and I have definitely been tempted to switch - it's so lovely! However, you know how it is - Ziplist is my routine now, and change is hard! :)

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  6. Welcome and thanks for these great tips! I would add Keepy for kid art. You can even record voice notes to go with the art and have a profile for each child. I use rememberthemilk for my to do list and Evernote to record all notes.

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    1. Thanks for the addition, Jennifer! Keepy is a great suggestion.

      Oh, and listen: I LOVE LOVE LOVE Evernote. In fact, I just trained seven team members at a local company to use it for productivity earlier this week!

      I'm such an Evernote fan girl that I had to sort of restrain myself on this first post to not go all Evernote, all the time and overwhelm you all! :) I'll be posting on it in the near future, though. Best tool ever! :)

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  7. These are brilliant! Thank you for sharing. Definitely will be taking advantage of these recommendations.

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    1. Yay! Thanks, April! So glad you found them useful. Keep me posted!!

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  8. I love my grocery app! It also syncs with my husbands phone, so he can grocery shop on the way home without even having to call! I use ShoppingList

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    1. Thanks for the additional suggestion, Bonnie!

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  9. Thank you so much! I am a Droid user & feel like these type of posts are always done for iPhone "cool kids." Thanks for considering us other people. Also VERY excited tolearn throughthis that artkive is now on Droid. Thank you!

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    1. Great, Allison! I'm so glad you found it useful - and excited you'll be able to use Artkive - awesome!

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  10. Thanks for sharing! I use Cozi (with a Gold subscription, but some features are free) to organize our to-do lists, shopping lists, calendar, and meal plan on my iPad & iPhone. I also love their journal function to make quick notes about the day's plans.

    I never thought of saving my toddler's artwork digitally. He started daycare in the fall. Now that he's in the preschool 3yo class, he's bringing artwork home almost every day, and I have no idea what to do with it. I'm downloading Artkive now. Thanks again!

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    1. I have always thought I would like using Cozi and have checked it out (as well as AboutOne.com) before... but now I think I am so devoted to the way I use Evernote that it remains the best option for me - even though it's very different from those two tools.

      And let me tell you - if he is in preschool, the torrential paperwork is only just beginning. So happy you found Artkive early! :) My kids love having a "scanfest" to enter any backlogged work - like when they bring home projects at the end of a semester - and they also love posing with their creations. Hope you enjoy it!!

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  11. I love the Artkive and Ziplist app ideas! I'm going to have to try them out. It'll make my Mr happy too, because I have a huge storage tub full of artwork!

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    1. I hear you! I've been on a mission to eliminate the stacks. Happy they'll be useful to you! :)

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  12. In Ziplist, can you save a list or do you have to type it every time? Also, once the item goes into the shopping cart, can it go back to the list? Thanks for your help!

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    1. Oh, my - this is an important point! You can absolutely save lists - I have about a dozen! I have my "current" list which is my true grocery list, but I also have lists for Thanksgiving, vacation, the health food store and even specialty stores such as ethnic food or spice shops. All your lists will be available across every platform.

      And YES - once the item is in the cart, you can always uncheck it so that it goes back on the list. For my current list, I hit "checkout" once I'm done so that it clears it back to a blank list, but on my Thanksgiving list I just uncheck everything so it is ready to go for the following year!

      Another feature I forgot to mention: you can even scan product bar codes! So, if you're persnickety about a particular brand (and maybe you're sending your spouse to the store) and you truly prefer a particular brand or 2% milk versus whatever they spot first, you're all set! :)

      Hope you enjoy!

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  13. I go even simpler. I use the Notes on my iphone and have my lists for stores, thrifting, gift ideas, etc and just update things as needed. I also use the reminders app all the time. I have a list for cleaning reminders (that goes off weekly or biweekly depending) a list for organizing projects if I have a minute, and then other things I need to do, with alarms to go off when I need to do them. I also devote an hour a week scanning art, bills, insurance papers. Taxes, whatever needs saving. If there's ever a fire, grab the hard drive and run!

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    1. I love it, Ashlee!!! Simplicity is so rewarding. Go you!!!

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  14. Thanks for the tips! Totally related to #3...lol!

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    1. Pat, thank you for validating me! Seriously, I would probably have "brush teeth" on there if that didn't seem like the ultimate fail. :)

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  15. I LOVE Artkive! It's a total lifesaver with kid's art. The thing I like best about it is you can say goodbye to the guilt - it's all stored away for future memories. Plus, you can eventually even print of a book of the artwork pictures. It's also nice for really big, bulky or messy art. I scrapbook my kid's photos and sometimes artwork, but this is a total lifesaver for the everyday art or special art from school.

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    1. Exactly, Lynnsey!! All that art with painted pasta and Cheerios just SCREAMS to be Artkived. :) And, there's such a huge bonus since the kids think it is cool and don't feel betrayed. Not that I'm the Mom who has been caught putting a scrap of paper with scribbles on it in the recycling bin, just speaking hypothetically...

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  16. Thanks for sharing these tips. I’ve been waiting to get a smartphone, but now I think you’ve convinced me. I’m looking forward to the Evernote post!

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    1. PS – I’m right there with you on the “I need a checklist for everything” train. As obnoxious as the lists might get - sometimes I’m even annoyed by them – they definitely keep me on track. Couldn’t live without them! :)

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    2. Oh, Julie. I think Evernote honestly makes a smartphone worthwhile. You need to prepare yourself, because it will blow your mind. :)

      And yes, thank you for coming with me on that obsession!

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  17. I love the idea of adding tech organization to the blog! The number 1, most disorganized thing in my life is my boyfriend. And then I found Avocado, an app (and website) for couples. It has messaging, calendar, and media sharing abilities. But the single most helpful part of the app are the checklists. The free version gives you up to 5 checklists. Ours are currently labeled Weekly Meal Plan, Groceries, Apartment Projects, His To Do and Her To Do. It's been *very* helpful in our relationship that I can just add something to a checklist and I don't have to nag or repeated remind him to get it done. Also helpful is that he can add peanut butter cups to the grocery list (again) without having to see me roll my eyes. We also like having the calendar right there with both of our activities listed so we don't over-commit ourselves or each other (which I may have a tendency to do).

    Anyway, I'm excited to see other tech organizational posts in the future!

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    1. Oh, goody! I love it when someone shares an app I've never heard of - must check this out immediately! I'm also loving the peanut butter cups and overscheduling references, possibly because I relate to both. :)

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  18. i just found ArtKive and LOVE it!!! Thanks for the tips!

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    1. If there is a family MADE for Artkive, it would be the Marrs clan!!! Miss miss miss you and must see your face soon. Thanks for coming over here to read!!

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  19. Love the tips. Seriously, organizing your spices alphabetically? How did I not notice that in your pantry?

    I organize by food dish type.

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    1. Oh, yes my friend. You know that I'm afflicted. However, I've seen your garage storage (and recent post), and it makes my heart sing. Organizing nerds unite! :)

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  20. Great post! I am taking baby steps incorporating technology with organizing and so far so good. I was wondering where I can find a link to the greeting card organizer info from the link party post earlier this week?

    Thanks!

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    1. Here is the link Erin: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2014/01/reader-spaces-link-party-awesomeness.html

      xo!

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  21. Beth, thanks for sharing these great tips! I included your post in our weekly round-up at Ask the Young Professional. You can check it out here (http://www.asktheyoungprofessional.com/weekly-round-up-january-31-2014/)!

    -Melissa

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    1. Thanks, Melissa! How fun! Much appreciation - going to check it out now!

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  22. iOS and android....what about Windows based?

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  23. Downloading Routines now! I can't wait to use it and get organized!

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    1. Yay, Ashley! You'll have to let me know what you think!

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  24. I love the idea of this blog series! looking forward to more techie / gadget-y organization tips

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    1. Great! Thanks for the positive feedback! Y'all please share any questions or areas of focus/requests you may have, as well!

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  25. Thank you Beth! I downloaded each app as I finished reading. I carry my iPhone everywhere I go, and typically forget my household binder on a different house level. These apps will help me with my BIGGEST organization issue.

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    1. Great, Linda! That makes me happy (or maybe I should have said "appy," ha!) I am such an app evangelist and love when others find them useful as well. Good luck!

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  26. Evernote is amazing and I probably on use it to a tiny percent of its capabilities. I can't wait to read your future post on it! Many thanks for the art saving suggestions! My 3.5 year old twins are making more than we can keep track of and I love the idea of sharing with the grandparents.

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    1. Evernote IS amazing - and Kim, I keep hearing that from others. So many people feel they are only using it to a small degree. In fact, I was able to do a short course on it for my friend Lyndi's work team (she's a commenter above) just last week. Let me just say this to whet your appetite: SEARCHABLE TEXT IN PHOTOS.

      I know. Mind blown, right?!

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  27. Thanks for the post Beth! I'm currently using Evernote (and loving it!) My husband is an engineer and loves that we can share notes. But I can't wait to check these others out.

    Erin
    upsideofchaos.com

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    1. *raises hand* Daughter of an engineer, right here! Maybe that's why it speaks to me - fantastic tool. Keep me posted on what you think, and thanks for the note!

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  28. Beth- I'm so excited you joined Jen's team! Please keep the tech-friendly organizing ideas coming!

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    1. Yippee - thanks for the warm welcome, Lauren! This will be fun.

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  29. Thank you so much for sharing these apps, Beth! I definitely need to download Artkive ASAP...I have drawings and scribbles everywhere around here! ;) Hope you're having a wonderful weekend, ladies! Thanks for sharing!

    ~Abby =)

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    1. I'm with you, Abby!

      And, I even started laughing at myself last night because I found (I kid you not) a few projects from my high school days tucked away in a guest room. I started snickering thinking that I could scan my own art right next to my daughters' works. Beth, age 8, 1985. Sophie, age 10, 2014. Le sigh.

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  30. Wow! I guess I'm the most simple and vintage-style person responding to this post. I choose not to have a smart phone, because I feel it's not worth the money. In fact, I have chosen to go totally without a cell phone for long periods of time and survived just fine. I use old fashioned paper maps to navigate and I still sometimes like to send old-fashioned letters, because I think that a person's handwriting is special and unique. I guess I'm a bit of an old-fashioned artsy person. So, I just learn to put up with paper messes. But, they do sometimes try to overtake my life. Have fun organizing your apps, while I organize my papers!

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    1. Chandra, that is such a healthy outlook! I absolutely agree with you, believe it or not. While I love a good app or iPad trick, my kids are learning to send hand-written thank you notes and you would be shocked if you entered our century old house - VERY non-tech-y. In fact, I love balance - and I think that is exactly what you're striking in your life. As I type this, I'm sitting next to a stack of vintage French books, a real journal and pen I use nightly, leather-bound photo albums and (snicker) a box marked "Negatives" from 1997.

      It's all about balance. So glad you posted, and glad to know there are plenty of people who still value maps, letters and handwriting. Keep on keeping on, sister!

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  31. I'm so excited to hear that you are joining the i heart organizing team because I love organizing and technology too. I'm always searching for new and better apps to help me in different areas of my life and to go paperless. I'll definitely try these out!

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    1. Thanks, Allison! I hear you! Along the lines of Chandra's previous comment, I am just all about keeping the clutter out of my life (for me, that means scraps of paper!) so I can focus on the people and moments that matter. I have a feeling my paperless quest is going to take several more years, though... and I'll always have the timeless mementos made of paper.

      Good luck - keep me posted!

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  32. Love this post! I might use artkive for myself-- as a 20-something with no kids, but a lot of doodles I'm proud of, the paper pileup is getting excessive!

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    1. Harper, I am so happy you posted this to help me legitimize my own use of it! I just posted above about how I was cracking up thinking about scanning all my old junior high and high school projects and having them appear alongside my daughters' creations. I can see their eye rolls now. :)

      Let me know what you think if you go for it! :)

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  33. Hi Beth (and Jen), been a fan of this blog for ages now - it is great, and I love the apps that Beth has shown us. I have downloaded Artkive, and Home Routines. I am a Flylady fan, and usually have all of the routines on little lists in my filofax (another great organising tool for anyone that likes paper - I would be lost without it for diary and addresses), but it is a bit of a chore keep printing off new lists every month but the Home Routines app now happily on my iPad is great, takes a bit of setting up but I am loving it already.

    Keep up the good work ladies, your blog entries are fab, and I am sure I am not the only UK fan :-)

    Becky - West Sussex, UK

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    1. Cheers, Becky! So glad to hear from you.

      Yes, I absolutely agree - it's worth a little set-up to avoid all the chore list printing. I used to be a big fan of laminated shopping lists that I could reuse and binders for home organization, but increasingly I just want less STUFF so I am loving keeping everything consolidated on phone or iPad.

      And thanks so much for the lovely words - happy to meet you and connect with a UK organizing enthusiast! :)

      (And even happier that I seem to have found my face/icon for replying to comments, ha!)

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  34. I can't wait to hear about Evernote. I have been an Evernote Pro user for years, but I'm always looking for new ways to use it. It's always fun to field a request for a recipe by asking for an email address and sending it right off via my Evernote iOS app. My daughter was the first of her circle of friends to marry and, when another bride inquired about the cost of things, or vendor names, I had it all at my fingertips. I felt so proud, I almost forgot about that GINORMOUS box of paper under my desk in the office that I have yet to scan . . . :-)

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    1. Oh, that's great Wendy! If you saw enough value to go pro, then you are going to love all that you can do with it.

      And I can absolutely relate - having Evernote often makes me feel like a magician conjuring information out of thin air. Added bonus: people actually think I'm organized - would you believe it?!

      Way to go, trendy Grandma Wendy!

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  35. I love your blog! You've inspired me to organize my "junk drawer" today, and I'm not done yet but I can see the potential! We have so many little things...some of them, I don't even know what they are.

    You also inspired me to order some of those storage boxes! My next big project will be organizing our DVDs and games, etc.

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    1. Congratulations!!! There is nothing like assaulting a junk drawer. I may let a lot of things slip in my life, but I am absolutely lord (or lady?) over my junk drawer. A little bit of feeling in control goes a long way. Good job, Lainey!

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    2. Now I can't stop! haha

      I have to check out some of these apps...I've been looking for one for routines. :)

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  36. If you are looking to get rid of the junk mail pile, the PaperKarma app is great! Its free on both Android and iPhone and helps you unsubscribe from junk mail.

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    1. Oh, great post Kendra! I am absolutely intent upon becoming a junk mail ninja. I adore our sweet (walking) neighborhood mail man who stops to pet and chat with our cat every day, but I don't want to see that man on my porch unless he is bringing me a letter. I'm on a mission to keep statements, bills and junk out of my mailbox. I had checked out PaperKarma in the past, but I bet it has evolved by leaps and bounds. I'm on it right this minute!

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  37. I love your vacation grocery list idea. :-) I do something similar, but it's for what to buy when we come back from a long vacation! Thanks for the tip on Routines, too. As a productivity-obsessed parent, I'm always happy to every new app that helps.

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    1. That's a great approach - I love the idea of coming home to a clear list of what's needed after vacation. Let me know what you think of Routines - I love it! I consider it my personal in-home drill sergeant. :)

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  38. I just bought the Routines app, it was something I was looking for for quite some time now, so thank you so much for sharing! Another app that I really love and use every day is Wunderlist. It allows you to sync to do list between all of your i devices as well as your Mac!
    Axelle
    Style playground

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    1. Thanks Axelle! Great tips, and so glad you like the Routines app!

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  39. My favorite Task app is HabitRPG (iOS and Android). It is a young app so new features are being added all the time, especially when you login online vs the app. I leave the online version up on my laptop at all times, but the app is great for on the go. You create an avatar and each task done grants you experience points to level up your avatar and sometimes little items. People that find themselves avoiding their to do lists may be more inclined if there is a game element to it. More info at habitrpg.com It really is super helpful and a bit adorable.

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  40. Thanks for sharing all of these ideas. I'm trying so hard to be more organized, so I think these will help me.

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    1. I hear you loud and clear! Best of luck to you - keep us posted!

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  41. I HATE paper-- and I cannot get the husband to stop bringing home newspapers! He only reads the sports section, and they drive me crazy :( Trying hard to get rid of paper in our lives, too...just wrote a post about this last week myself. http://simplemiser.com/delete-paper-clutter-from-your-life/ (great minds and all!) Thanks for the app suggestions-- I'm an Android girl, but found some similar ones.

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    1. Cheers, friend! I could not agree more. I first started trying to go paperless in 2009 and 2010, and I honestly feel like I am just getting a handle on it more than four years later (and still have a long way to go) - it's an ongoing battle and takes years to conquer. (In fact, I'm fuming because a phone book arrived on our porch yesterday despite my efforts!! Argh!)

      Ok. *Dismounts Soapbox*

      Good luck to you!!

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    2. Eliminating is my favourite app. Every day I can read news in my phone. Now I have not bring news paper from shop. It make my ;life easy. Thanks

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