Office Max – A Day Made Better

Working to Erase Teacher Funded Classrooms

I was thrilled to be included as a Max Mom in the Office Max campaign to help make a Day Better for a deserving teacher!  They realize that teachers have to spend a lot of their own money for classroom supplies – either because the school district can’t afford to help or the actual students aren’t able to purchase what they need.  They have a goal of erasing the teacher funded classrooms!

I was given an opportunity to either have a contest on my blog so that my readers could nominate a teacher they felt was deserving… or I could present it to a local teacher.  I knew immediately what I was going to do.  A teacher and a dear friend of mine deserved it more than any other teacher I could think of.  For what she has endured this year with a severe injury and her constant drive and determination to make things better for her students (many of which are disadvantaged) … this was a “no Brainer” for me.

I really wanted to present this to her in her classroom, but I just couldn’t work it out.  Debbie had invited a big group of people over for a bonfire at her house and I took the opportunity along with a couple of the other ladies who came inside to present this to her at her home.

Disclosure:  Office Max provide the $100 gift card, T-shirt and rubber band balls for me to give to a teacher for the “A Day Made Better” campaign.  I chose to also give Debbie the Avery gift basket (that I added a Build a Bear, water bottle and some other odds and ends that I got a swag at conferences) that was sent to me to review on my blog.

Tips from Peter Walsh (part 4)

More Tips Directly from Peter Walsh

These Tips were given to me by Office Max to use if I wanted to.  The above picture is of the new line of products that Peter Walsh has coming out in the Office Max stores called you.organized.

Calendars: You might feel like multiple schedules lead to more confusion. For a little planning relief, combine home and work calendars. Simply choose various colors to mark important dates: one for professional tasks and meetings, one for personal appointments, one for social engagements, one for your children’s activities, and so on. (Peter Walsh)

I’m with him on that one. I have tried to keep a calendar in my purse and one at home.  I like having my calendar with me.  I have solved that problem with using a google calendar on my computer and it syncs with my blackberry.  The google calendar does have color coding for events, so that helps.  It isn’t my favorite calendar and I’m always looking for other options….but it has to sync with my phone so I have my calendar with me on the road.

Cork Boards & Sticky Boards: No need to hang lists, phone numbers and reminders all over your cubicle walls. Instead, create a one-stop message center with a cork or sticky board. Hang your daily to-do list, phone numbers, and a weekly calendar of events and meetings. That way, you’ll have all your need-to-know information in front of you. (Peter Walsh)

If you give yourself the limit of a bulletin board or magnetic board…and it gets full – then that is a sign that too much is on there and you can clean it off.

Email: Stay on top of your electronic inbox. Check email when you arrive, and immediately sort each message into an appropriate folder. Even if you don’t have time to deal with the contents of a message or even read it fully, sort it for later action. (Peter Walsh)

E-mail boxes are always a problem. It is easy for them to become very full very fast.  Do use the folders that you can create to sort e-mails you need to keep. Delete junk emails.  Here is a post I did on E-mail organizing.

• Closing Thoughts: Remember that your desk sends a clear signal about who you are and how you approach your work. You should have an organized desk at the start and finish of every day! (Peter Walsh)

Disclosure: I was not paid or given anything to do this post. I was given the above info if I wanted to use it…and I did!

———————————————————————–

Tips from Peter Walsh (Part 2)

Here are some Office  Organization Tips & Inspirations directly from Peter Walsh

These are some tips that were sent to me from Office Max that Peter Walsh gave them for us to use. I wanted to share them with you!!  I have added a couple of my own thoughts after each one…

• Desktop Organization: There’s no faster way to inspire an immediate change in attitude than with an uncluttered, clear and pristine desk. Think of your desk as a reflection of your head. No matter how creative and brilliant you are, you’ll perform better with an organized desk. You shouldn’t have anything on your desk that isn’t “active,” meaning it still needs to be dealt with.  (Peter Walsh)

Isn’t that the truth?  I have said before, Clutter in your home = Clutter in your head.  Think how nice it would be to walk in to work in your office and see a nice clean desk to work out. Ahhhhh…. is the feeling you get rather than…..Gggrrrhhhh!!

• To-Do Lists: When writing a to-do list, group alike tasks together such as making calls or running errands to increase efficiency. But avoid getting overwhelmed with your workload by breaking it into small, manageable tasks. Write to-do list items on individual sticky notes and put them on a wall calendar. Rearrange them as your priorities change. At the end of the day, review your checklist and cross off completed items. Move any pending items to a fresh list for tomorrow.  (Peter Walsh)

I like this idea.  I am hoping to try (hoping to review, but if not…I will probably buy myself) his new you.organized wall modular unit.  I think you could use this with his sticky note idea.

• Paper Clutter: Deal with new papers first. No matter how high the old piles are, begin by devising a system for the new arrivals. Decide immediately what to do with each piece of paper that comes across your desk. Do not postpone these decisions. Paper piles are messy monuments to a long series of small procrastinations. Once you are faithfully dealing with new papers in a systematic way, haul out all unfiled older papers and take them through your new system. (Peter Walsh)

Reminds me of what I used to say when I sold Creative Memories scrapbooking supplies.  Start with the new pictures first. If you look at that huge back log of pictures, you will never do anything because it is too over whelming. You start at the present.  Works the same with the paper clutter.

The above picture is a picture of the line of products that Peter Walsh created and is being carried in the Office Max.

Disclosure:  I was not paid to do this post, I was offered the information to use if I would like to use it.  It was my decision to use the information because I think Peter Walsh rocks and love what he has to say.

Interview with Peter Walsh!!! (part 1)

Interviewing the King of Organizers!!

I was thrilled to be able to interview Peter Walsh today via web cam.  He could not see me (thank goodness because I was sitting with my sweatshirt on and no makeup!) but I was on the phone.

I was asked by Office Max if I wanted this opportunity. Heck yes!!

Peter is coming out with a new line (they are soooo cool) of organizers for the office called the you.organize series and we are lucky enough to get a preview here.  I am glad….I was sure hoping he would.  My favorite is the wall modular system! I love the look of it and it is so functional.

I asked him about filing though. That seems to be my biggest challenge when I work with clients. I wanted to see what his thoughts were. Also on the programs where you log all the information into your computer and each file folder gets a number. Then you put in a key word and it shows you where your file is.  They work great and I have used a version or one with one client. But….I do not like that you can’t open the file drawer and find your file without logging onto your computer first.  *The client I had use this system, I still labeled the front of his files with the file name & the number.

Enjoy my interview (as nervous as I was…) with Peter Walsh. Plus the fact that I could see him in the video but was talking to him on the phone. Well when we were  making this…his voice didn’t match his mouth! I felt like I was watching a foreign film. LOL  So I had to keep looking away from the screen because it was throwing me off. (You know as I get older it doesn’t take as much to throw me off! ) Thank goodness on the final video he talks just fine!

Thank you SO Much Office Max and Peter for this opportunity!

You can follow Peter’s Facebook Page to get answers to even more of your questions.

Tomorrow I am going to share some tips that are from Peter.

Disclosure:  I was not paid for this interview with money or products. I also did not have to pay them to have this interview.  My reward? I got to interview Peter Walsh!!!  yippee & squeels!

Type A Mom Conference…Day 3

I am a little behind in my blogs. I traveled yesterday from Ashville NC to Charlotte NC. I am staying with my 86 year old Aunt and Uncle overnight and leaving in just a few minutes to go to the airport to pick up my husband.
We are going to be going to Ocean Isle North Carolina to stay at the Ocean Isle Inn for the next 3 days. (can’t wait)….so I am going to continue showing you slide shows..(sorry not much organizing in the last week….but I want to share with all of you)

Peter Walsh Back to School Web Cast with Office Max

I took part in a web cast with Peter Walsh that Office Max sponsored yesterday. He had with him in this picture from left to right a Teacher, a middle school student, Peter, a Mom and a High school student. He would ask different questions and then compare how the different people viewed the different situations.
He went over how to get organized to start school. I want to share the information that he gave because I think it is valuable.
(My pictures aren’t very good of this because I took a picture of my computer screen and I kept getting the glare back)

These are the screens he put up. I wanted to show this one to show you what we saw..but I will just write up the test of them.

TIPS FOR HOME
1) Find the vision you have for a space (what do you want it to look like)
2) Make Organization a Family Value
3) Use the Right Tools for Organizing

TIPS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR CHILD
1)Show that you value Organization
2)Establish Clear Limits and Routines
3)Always Finish a “cycle”. Finish a task

TIPS FOR THE CLASSROOM
1)Establish Clear Routines
2)Involve Kids with Classroom Organization
3)Use Word pictures and color to help Organize

One of the things that the teacher pointed out that really doesn’t have to do with Organization but I thought it was a wonderful thing to mention was – That teachers do not want wooden apples and little gifts for holidays etc. They want classroom supplies. Peter Walsh said on the average teachers spend about $1,200 a year of their own money on classroom supplies. So next time instead of buying your teacher another little trinket that will add to her clutter at home….buy her things she can use for classroom supplies.

Peter got on twitter for about 15 minutes after the web cast. Of course remember he has over 200 bloggers all trying to “chat” with him via twitter. I said a few things, but he did respond to me.

I wrote him, Thanks @Peter_Walsh You are like chocolate to an Organizer.
He actually saw it and said Thanks Sandy.
I know that seems crazy….but it made my day. LOL

Peter Walsh’s In Place System and Office Max Team Up – Review

Peter Walsh is a guru of organizing. You have probably seen him on the Oprah Show as her organizing consultant. He has teamed up with Office Max to bring his new organizing system to all of us. It is called “In Place System“.

I got to take part in a web cast with him a few months ago and it was great. (You can see it here yourself)
This is a office organizing system that is designed to be simple, affordable and usable.
He makes folders clear so that you can easily see what is in them. He uses specially made sticky notes so that you can change labels as you need.
There are several components and you need to see them at your local Office Max.

I was also given some really fun and colorful folders and clips to use from Office Max. It is the DiVoga line of fun accessories. I love them. I use them for my children’s files that I keep current information in. It is fun to have something different than you plan old cream color folders.
The plastic snap folders are great too. I am using one to put all my BlogHer paperwork in. I am dividing up the 3 days schedules, confirmations and party schedules into the clear folders from Peter Walsh with sticky note labels and then putting them all into the fun snap closure folder from Office Max. Great combo!
The paperclips are just so cute and fun. I use them in a clear magnetic tin that I display on my magnetic board.
Great stuff Peter Walsh and Office Max!