NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING with Ariane Benefit, Organizing Coach

Reader Asks: How do you Manage Documents, Projects, Tasks and Folders using your Computer?

In response to my post on Managing Multiple Priorities using Project Folders on my Computer (Windows XP) a reader, Layla, asked some great questions and I wanted to share my response with you...so here goes.

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Question 1

How do you assign stuff to folders, that could be in 2 or 3 different folders? (save 3 times, or just in one - which one?:)

 

Answer

My answer has many layers.  If it's a small file and relates to two or more book projects I'm working on, I might actually copy it twice...and clean it up when I'm done

If it's a larger file, I put the original doc in one folder and put shortcuts to the file in the other relevant folders.

If it's not that important a file, I put all the keywords I might search on in the title of the file and put it in one folder.  Then I use "Search" to find it later! 

 

Question 2

Also, do you have a section for 'Archives', or similar? And separate for 'Action files'?

 

Answer

Yes - I have an "Archives" section for my important old projects and they are backed up on my webhost and on DVDs.  I also use my webhost to back up any important files I'm working on.  I just created a folder called BACKUP-Projects on my webhost.  (I use Dreamweaver for web development and it has an FTP program built in.  You can also use any FTP program like Smart FTP  or FileZilla, etc.

I don't have a separate section on my computer labeled "Action Files" because most all of them are working files.

My "currently active"  and "frequently used" folders are linked to on my Quick Launch Bar....I have a 28 inch monitor and a 22 inch monitor sided by side so I have my TASK / QUICK LAUNCH Bar on the right of my larger monitor.

MP3s I want to listen or downloads to read are grouped on on my desktop - when I'm done I "file" them.  So I guess you could say my desktop is for individual files I need to do something with. 

Here is a screenshot of my desktop so you can see what my taskbar looks like... you can click it to see it larger.  On the left are shortcuts to software, top are my remote desktop connections for taking over other computers in our home.  In the middle are files I need to read or listen too.  Also, some are text files I use for "reference"  like design conventions for my website (html color codes, etc.)  and when I have to close my browser and want to come back to a website, instead of bookmarking it I drag it to my desktop...look at it later and then if I really want to keep it I usually file the shortcut in the project folder it relates to.

 

Hope you find something in this article that you can actually use!

 

If you like this tip, you'll LOVE being part of my online virtual organizing and coaching group called Getting Unstuck!  

On the website, we have several ongoing neat virtual interactive group "workshops" happening simultaneously!  Most of them feature audio recordings of classes and/or group coaching sessions along with e-books, powerpoint presentations, discussion forums and more!   Not only do you get learning resources, you get to ask questions and share your photos for personal coaching!   You can now join for just $67 for the first month and then $47 for two additional months.

Currently active workshops within the coaching group include:

• Take Charge of your Finances - (The third call in this series is tomorrow!)
• Organizing Your Paper
• Organizing Your Office
• Overcoming Healthy Eating Challenges
• Organizing Using Your Computer
• Cleaning your home Quick & Easy ( ADD-friendly ways to simplify cleaning)
• Understanding ADD

More are on the way!

Click here: Getting Unstuck: virtual organizing and coaching group  to learn more!

 

Managing Multiple Priorities using Project Folders on my Computer (Windows XP)

One of my favorite things about my new Getting Unstuck Organizing Coaching and Clutter Support group is that by interacting with the group daily, I get inspired constantly to write about things that I just never thought about sharing before.  I'm blogging in the group every day sometimes 4-5 times a day!  (Yes, I have a blog AND a Support forum on the private group website.)

For example, last week as part of a whole series on prioritizing, I shared a tip about how I organize the many projects I have underway on my computer.  I was surprised how many people found this helpful to them.  So I thought I'd share one of my little "hacks" with you!

If you like it, let me know and I'll share more. 

so here it is..

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One way to prioritize multiple projects is to make a list of projects in the order you want to do them. (Assigning each project ABC or 123 priority can be very helpful.) It's also helpful to make some notes about why you are assigning the project a certain priority. e.g., money you need for the project? time needed? people affected by it? etc. That way you don't have to remember why you chose the order you did.

Now, that idea is fine, but too cumbersome for me.  First of all, why keep yet another list when I need to keep all my projects in a computer folder anyway?   

In "My Documents" on my computer. I have a "Projects" folder. In that folder, I created a folder for each project that is self-initiated, like books I'm writing, workshops, etc. (Client projects have a whole separate system.)

The folders then are automatically in a list. But as you know, on the computer, folders display in either alphabetical or chronological order. That just isn't helpful for me and the way I work.

I prefer to see them listed in the order I wish to complete them. That way I don't have to think about the order or look through a whole list to find the project I want. My current project is always at the top. To make them appear in completion order, what I do is add a number to the front of the Folder / Project name.

My projects that I MOST want to complete in the next few months I give a 1 to. That moves them to the top of the list. Then I assign my 2s, then my 3s.

Just doing that allows me to focus now only on the 1s. I ask myself, of all the really important ones which is MOST imortant?  Then I rename the folders to have 1a 1b 1c etc. This puts all my projects all in order - AND I never have to worry about where the list is, or create a file folder for Project Lists! When I forget what my priorities are, I just open that folder and there they are.

When I have content that applies to a project I'm not working on right now...I file it away in that folder.

In each Project folder I have a simple TEXT (.txt) file that has my goals, objectives and notes about the project. Could be an outline, names of people I want to involve. etc.

To make things even easier, I have a shortcut to my projects folder on my Windows Quick Launch Bar. So it's ALWAYS handy. I also have a corresponding binder with pockets for each project that has paper associated with it.

By the way...

Guess what 1a was for me this last 6 months?

You guessed it...The Getting Unstuck Coaching Group!!!  : )

If you like learning ways to simplify like this, consider joining Getting Unstuck Coaching Group and get unlimited access to tons more ideas like this.  Or, you can also get lots more great organizing ideas like this in my organizing books.

So, what do you think?  Was this worth me taking 2 hours to write this up to share with you?

 

Getting Unstuck Coaching Group is here!

Over the last several weeks, Suzanne Babb and I have been working closely with my new publishing company to reinvent the Getting Unstuck Coaching and Support Group as an ONGOING group, not just a one-shot deal.

We are thrilled to announce that the group officially begins Jan. 15! 

An Affordable Alternative

For people interested in coaching, but aren't sure about investing a lot of money in it, (and who has money to spare these days?)  we have designed a truly unique program that enables you to experience coaching in a group setting. 

Group coaching provides you with a way to receive ongoing learning, feedback, support, and inspiration without having to spend a fortune. You not only get our support, you get the support of other people who are all working on getting unstuck, getting inspired, and getting organized.  

A Longer Term Alternative

This program is designed to be an ongoing support experience, kinda like Weight Watchers, but for Managing Your Life, not your weight.  So just when you've found your groove and are making serious progress on your goals, you won't be cut off.  

If you find you've really gotten a handle on things, you can leave the group.  If you "fall off the wagon" (and most of us do when life throws us curveballs) we will be here for you - and you won't have to get on a waiting list.  Just re-enroll in a couple easy steps.

 Special Offer

You get 3 months of coaching calls, ALL of Suzanne's e-books on Organizing, and Technology and Ariane's Organizing eBooks, discounts on future workshops, an exclusive online support forum, and much more.  Learn all the details here:  Getting Unstuck Coaching Group

Whatever you decide, I truly wish you a world of sustainable success in 2009!

How do you prepare for hurricanes and other disasters? Get Organized!

I'm the last person who wants you to live in fear of a disaster. Chances are good you'll never experience one. But, unfortunately, disasters such as hurricanes, floods, fires, and terrorist acts are not as unlikely as they used to be. It seems like hurricane season has just begun and we are already up to "i". Having lived in Florida for 10 years and having lots of friends and family there, I know first hand the chaos and destruction that hurricanes and other natural disasters can cause. My heart goes out to all the victims of the latest devastation that hit Cuba and Haiti and to friends, family and colleagues all along the east coast.

This weekend, as we were preparing our home and backyard to withstand the remnants of Hurricane Hannah which passed through NJ , (thankfully we weren't hit as hard as they had predicted) I was thinking about what I could do to help others be prepared.

Then I got an email from Judith Kolberg, author of Conquering Chronic Disorganization, ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life and Founder of NSGCD, about organizing for disaster.

So rather than reinvent the wheel, I got permission from Judith to allow me to reprint her tips from her article and her latest book, "Organize for Disaster: Prepare Your Family and Your Home for Any Natural Or Unnatural Disaster."

Free Computer Tech Support by Phone till March 15!

Do you work from home and have the occasional annoying technical problem that you can't figure out, and wish you could pick up the phone and get an expert answer right away?

Perhaps you want to set up a wireless network between your computer and someone you live with but are intimidated by the though of doing it on your own. 

Check out this new service being offered by my friend Phil Gerbyshak, it's called  MinuteFix. They promise to help you with any of your computer technical support issues only charge you by the minute (hence the name, MinuteFix).

There's no cost until March 15th, so head over to MinuteFix and check them out.

Our Las Vegas Vacation - Worth the Vacation "Hangover" : )

I love taking vacations, but the older I get the harder it is to recover from them!  It seems the longer the time I go away and more deeply I "disconnect" from everything, the longer it takes to get reconnected with all the elements of my life. And now, I'm finally reconnecting with you! : ) 

Having a 3 hour time change and getting sick after coming back made this vacation hangover particularly grueling and lengthy.  I think I got so sick partly because of the insane amount of smoking I got exposed to there.  Everywhere we went there cigars and cigarettes being smoked.  It was unbelievable how much smoking was going on there.  I suppose there is a connection between gambling and smoking. But it was really bad. We couldn't even walk down the street, or wait for a shuttle bus, or even go to the spa or pool at our hotel without suddenly taking in a deep breaths of CIGAR smoke - never mind the cigarettes.  It was like they were having some kind of cigar convention there (but they weren't) : )

We were so constantly bombarded with smoke that my lungs were killing me most of the time there.  (I am forever grateful to be living in NJ where we finally got a statewide smoking ban passed.  There is NO smoking allowed, at ALL, in any indoor facilities, and many outdoor areas as well.  As a former smoker, I know how hard it is to quit, but it's a lot easier to quit when you don't have to breathe it in everywhere you go.) 

We don't gamble, so I can't review the casinos except to say that they were EXTREMELY smoky, I actually had to cover my mouth to breathe a few times or hold my breath to walk through - because you HAVE to walk through them to get to the shows and the restaurants in most of the hotels on the strip.

OUR PHOTOS

Here are a couple Photo Albums we put up on Google's Picasa web.  I don't spend a lot of time doing photo albums, but I wanted to learn this tool so that I could hopefully start sharing more photos (and videos) of my work.  I just wish it didn't take up so much time. This is the EASIEST way to do it I've tried so far.  I uploaded over 50 photos all at once with no problem.  Added Captions in about 10 minutes. The MOST time consuming part was choosing the best photos and renaming the files.   

Here is our Las Vegas album - over 50 views taken with my new Olympus Stylus FE-290 7MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom 

You might especially like my strategy for not bringing home a lot of clutter...I took photos in the stores of most of the souvenirs I was tempted by!  tee hee.  I love just being able to see them and not having to find homes for them somewhere in the house. 

p.s. Photos were resized and some were auto corrected with Microsoft Office 2003's Photo Manager.  Love that for quick and dirty edits. 

Here is our Leaving Las Vegas album showing some amazing aerial views from the plane.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

More nice things about Las Vegas: The weather was gorgeous!  Sunny and in the low 70s every day.  : )

RESTAURANTS

The food was amazing, I now understand why Top Chef did one of their seasons from Las Vegas.  We had a beautiful traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Lawry's Prime Rib.  FABULOUS.  I wish there was a Lawry's in New York City.

We had a delicious but very expensive meal at the The Mix restaurant which is in the THE hotel at Mandalay Bay. We were seated on the outdoor balcony of the 64th Floor and the view of the city was stunning. Good thing we don't drink or the meal would have been really outrageous! It was fun, but the whole environment seemed rather pretentious to me.

Our overall favorite though was Wolfgang Puck's Postrio Cafe at St. Mark's Square in the Venetian Hotel.  The food was 5 star, the service was just as fabulous and the atmosphere was far more relaxed and inviting.

Another favorite was the Harley Davidson Cafe.  They have a bunch of REAL motorcycles on a track suspended from the ceiling that actually move all through the restaurant.  It's like being in Disneyland.  Check out their virtual ride through the restaurant and their photo gallery...way cool.

SHOWS

We enjoyed the shows, especially:

Mama Mia at the Mandalay - My FAVORITE!!  Loved it.  The ABBA music made be feel 17 again!  I was actually 17 when Dancing Queen came out and I danced to it on my 17th birthday.

LOVE by Cirque de Soleil at the Mirage - It was a gorgeous show and the music was amazing.  I've Cirque before and was expeciting more acrobatics, it has a little, but this show is NOT about the acrobatics...be forewarned : )

Blue Man Group at the Venetian - My husband LOVED this one best.  I liked it, but it's really a guy's show.  They spray the audience with colored paint and stuff like that.  It got very gross at times - like when they squirt what looks like vomit out of their outfits and then eat it.  eeewww.  not my thing.  But at times it was very insightful too.  Overall, it's a fun show, glad I went, glad we didn't pay half price.  : )

ICE at the Riviera by a skating acrobatics ensemble from Russia.  It was nice, but DON'T pay full price.  The stage is too small and is not in the round so they don't have room to do anything too spectacular, though from what they did do, it was clear they are very talented. One cool thing about the show was that they have a thin ice track that weaved through the audience so that they could skate through now and then.

The Fountains of Bellagio were my favorite. We saw several different shows set to various kinds of music. Check out my video clip of - the entire Singing in the Rain show below. I took this clip with my new Olympus Stylus FE-290 7MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom  After using it for the past month, I LOVE this camera. It was so easy to take the video, the audio is amazing, and it was so easy to transfer to my computer, (See my post comparing the Olympus FE 290 Wide Angle Digital Camera to the Samsung L74 Wide Angle.)  and upload it to my new favorite service...Google Video!  It's my new favorite because they don't have a 10 MB restriction like YouTube does.  You have UNLIMITED file size!!  How do they do it??!!   I don't know, but here it is.  Hope you like it!

BOTTOM LINE

I'm glad we went, but I would not go back. There are many more places I'd rather go, but I'm glad to have been there once in my life.

Well that's all for now. This post and getting all the photos and video clip together has taken nearly all day!

But meanwhile I was also playing with my early Christmas Gift, an HP iPaq PDA  - it's basically a handheld mobile computer with enough features to compel me to try using an electronic calendar again!  For one I can handwrite entries!!!  It also allows me to connect to the internet and email via WI-FI and cell phone. Plus it's an MP3 Player, a note recorder and much more. I'll wrote more about that eventually : )  For now check it out on Amazon here - It has great reviews! HP iPAQ 111 Classic Handheld

Till the next time,

Are you an Article Clipping Addict?

If you clip lots of articles from newspapers and magazines, this guest post by Professional Organizer, Lorie Morrero is for you.  It provides alternatives to clipping that save you time and space in your home. It may even cause you to rethink how much you clip in the first place.

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Do you need Clippers Anonymous?

GUEST POST By Lorie Marrero, Author of the Clutter Diet

Are you compelled to clip articles from magazines and other reading material and save them for later, or share them with your friends and family?  Is it becoming a problem?

Clipping for yourself:  The main question is, do you have an organized system for FINDING the clippings later?  If you do not have a reliable way of organizing and filing these items, you might as well not have them. I would like to suggest to you that almost everything is indexed online now.  Virtually all major magazines have indexed their articles, and if you'll allow the possibility, they can be responsible for holding this information for you.  I would recommend taking a few of your clippings and "testing" trying to find that information on Google, or directly on the magazine's website.  My guess is that you will be successful almost 100% of the time.  This may give you the confidence to drastically reduce your clipping habits.  It's very time-consuming to handle this paper and file it and keep it, and it takes up a lot of space.  Remember, you do not need to create your own personal library when there are literally libraries and search engines and others that do nothing but index information for you.

A helpful tool:  A PDF maker.  PDFs are a universal type of document that almost anyone can read on any computer.  You can "print" a web page to save as a PDF document, using Adobe Acrobat Professional software or a less expensive "knock-off" product like Cute PDF.  Saving a PDF of something you like online can allow you to organize it into your personal files on your hard drive, rather than printing something out and keeping it in your paper files.

Clipping for others:  The good news is that you are probably a very caring "people person" who really values your relationships.  That is great!  Let's make sure you're doing the best thing for the people you care about helping.

First, ask yourself honestly if this person truly wants the information.  In my work as a Professional Organizer, I have a client who is a very well-intentioned "big sister." She is always wanting to send articles about health and wellness to her parents and siblings, along with parenting advice and similar items.  We were able to broach the subject that perhaps these types of articles could be perceived badly as unsolicited advice, and that you have to be careful about the unspoken messages you're sending along with the material. 

Secondly, always ask yourself (again) if this information is available online.  People nowadays would greatly prefer a link they can click on, read, and move on--rather than adding to their pile of paper they feel they must read and respond to.  E-mail makes it much easier to share this information conveniently.  It's also much less time-consuming for you.  The client I have mentioned above often makes 5-6 copies of an article to send out to various family members, so imagine the time savings of doing that vs. just addressing an e-mail to 5-6 people.

Hopefully this information gives you a different perspective to help relieve your clipping burden.

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Lorie Marrero is a Professional Organizer and creator of The Clutter Diet, an innovative, affordable online program for home organization. Lorie’s site helps members lose “Clutter-Pounds” from their homes by providing online access to her team of organizers. Lorie writes something insanely practical every few days or so in the Clutter Diet Blog. She lives in Austin, TX, where her company has provided hands-on organizing services to clients since 2000.

Easy Drop-off Recycling for Your old Computers & Electronics is Here in NJ Thanks to Goodwill & Dell Computer Partnership! (CA, PA, NC, MI & TX too!)

I'm so thrilled!  We have a bunch of old monitors and computer accessories up in our attic that have been waiting for our twice a year electronics free recycling day.  Now we no longer have to wait!  We can just drop it off!

RECONNECT is a comprehensive electronics recycling program which includes a variety of ways to repurpose your donations.   Goodwill Industries and Dell partnered to create RECONNECT so that you can simply bring in your donation to your participating local Goodwill store or Goodwill donation drop-off sites.  Some of the goods will be sold to support the Goodwill mission of creating job opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment.  Others will be recycled by Dell.

DETAILS

Any brand computer is eligible for donation.

You are responsible for removing data from your hard drive. 

Neither Dell nor Goodwill Industries takes any responsibility for your data.

The computer can be working or non-working. All equipment that cannot be refurbished is responsibly recycled.   

Donations may be tax deductible. Check with your tax advisor for more information about eligibility and how to value your donation.

Get complete and current info at: www.reconnectpartnership.com

LOCATIONS

• California
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Texas

Thank you so much to DELL & GOODWILL!!!

p.s. for VA & OR, try www.etechrecycling.com/

Related Posts on this Blog

• How to Donate Your Old Computer
• Ink jet, Laser & Toner Cartridge Recycling
• Donating Your Stuff Can Make You More Money Than Selling it! (If you do it right)

• Challenge: Find out what your local charity needs, THEN go on a clutter hunt in your home!
• Charitable Donations Get Stricter Tax Rules
• How to Have a Successful Garage Sale
• 1-800-Got Junk? Comes to NJ!
• Where to Donate Household Goods, Clothing, Books & More in NJ

Five of my favorite sites that I find useful in my work

I've been tagged by Monica Ricci to share 5 of my favorite sites that I use most often to perform my work. I do a LOT of research for content and for products.  Here are my faves.

1.   www.Google.com   - I aways start my searching here, then if I don't find what I need quickly enough, I try www.ask.com

2.  www.wikipedia.com  - Another great resource.

3.  Amazon.com - This is where I start researching products because they have a lot of reviews and it gives me a benchmark on pricing.  Also, I can see if there are used products for sale and there often are.

4.  www.stacksandstacks.com  - This is a great site for finding unique organizing products and they also have reviews which are extremely helpful.   It's even better now that they have a blog!

5. www.cnet.com/ - This is great for researching technology, you get editors and user reviews.  It helped us buy our latest printer! 

Monica also tagged Dr. Amie Ragan.  Her list includes one of my favorite sites (www.webMD.com)

Now I have to tag 5 people please include a link back to me and let me know when you've posted so I can link to your post!

• All of you!  Anyone who would like to participate is welcome and I'll include a link to your list here!
• Dwayne Melancon Genuine Curiosity
• Julie Bonner Declutter It!
• Lorie Morrero Clutter Diet Blog
• Dawud Miracle Dawud Miracle
• Kara Sheridan  Kara's Place to Breathe and Believe

Using Rules to Automatically Sort & File Your eMail as it Arrives - Here are resources for EVERY computer type!

I have found a gold mine in this post!  I often help clients set up Rules and Filters to organize and automatically file their email in Outlook.  But it's a whole different story when my client is using an email program I'm not familiar with.

Dawud Miracle has saved me! In his recent post on eMoms at Home on how to organize your email using filters and rules (this blog is NOT just for moms, it's a fabulous resource for any blogger as Wendy Piersall shares her growth and learnings on the way to becoming a Top 100 Blogger!)

If you are not sure how e-mail rules and filters work, why you should be using them to organize your email, or if you would like some ideas and strategies for setting up email filters, I strongly recommend reading Dawud's full post. 

I organize email using rules to put all my email newsletters and other non-urgent reading into a Reading Folder.  I put all the posts from Chats I subscribe to in their own folders and power read them when I have time.  I also keep an ARCHIVE folder for mail I want to keep for a while after I've read it, but not in my inbox.  I try to only keep e-mail in my inbox that requres a response or some kind of action from me.

Here is Dawud's list of resources to for setting up rules on various email programs to organize your email:

• Apple Mail: Rules with Apple Mail & Automatically processing email
• Eudora: How to use filters (Windows) & How to use filters (Mac)
• GMail: How do I setup filters & Lifehacker’s Supercharge your GMail filters
• Hotmail: How do I create custom email filters in MSN Hotmail?
• Microsoft Outlook: Create a rule & Tips for managing your email
• Microsoft Outlook Express: Creating rules in Outlook Express
• Netscape Mail: Creating Message Filters in Netscape
• Thunderbird: Creating, using and editing filters in Thunderbird
• Yahoo!Mail: Filtering mail

Organizing with Piles - on Your Computer's Desktop!

If you love organizing your world with piles, you probably find organizing files on your computer a nightmare! A team of software developers is hoping to end all that by making your computer desktop work with your natural style. 

Their protype is called the BumpTop.  It allows you to create messy or neat piles using a pen to move documents around. 

The BumpTop mimics all the ways people use piles and visual cues to give meaning to how the piles are organized.  Whether you pile or not, this video clip on www.YouTube.com is a mindbending example of thinking out of the box! It demonstrates in 3D how you can create and manipulate piles in ways you may not even realize you are doing!   

I lost my internet for 3 days...Can you say withdrawal pains???

There is nothing like losing something to make you aware of what it meant to you...and make you realize how addicted you are!! 

When my Comcast Internet Service suddenly died on Thursday, I thought it would come back in a couple hours or so as it usually does...but NO...it WAS DEAD!  So was our home telephone (digital by Comcast also)

That was just the beginning of a horrifying customer service story. 

Call 1 - We called in and were told he'd have to call us back. He left a message saying some one would be her on Friday - call back to get the time.

Call 2 - We called in and the guy told us the hours, I said I couldn't do those hours because I had a client those exact hours.  I could do before 11 or after 2.  They said no, it would have to be then or we would have to WAIT A WEEK!!  I went a little ballistic, after all we have their top of the line extra enhanced all combined service.  He HUNG UP ON ME!!!

Call 3 - We were told we'd have some out here on Friday.  I would have to call in the morning after 8:00 to try and get it earlier. 

Call 4 - I call at 8 and they have me on hold 45 minutes. I give up and have to cancel my client appt. 

Call 5 - 1:00 rolls around and they never showed up.  I call in and they tell me we never had an appt for Friday.  I get the supervisor.  After another hour on the phone they tell me someone will be out.  They don't show up again.

Call 6 - Someone will be there Saturday.

Saturday - The cable guy shows up and checks everything in the house.  It's all good.  He follows they dotted line which leads him to the pole outside. 

HERE's THE REAL MIND BLOWER

Comcast had been in our area on Thursday for a repair.  The guy did not see a certain tag or something on our internet line and SIMPLY DISCONNECTED US.  No call into the company first to make sure it wasn't a LEGITIMATE customer first.  He just  DISCONNECTed the line with no authorization or checking first. I was at my desk working.  He could have just knocked on the door and asked me first and I would have showed him my paid bill.

All that pain I went through for NOTHING - All the loss of business, loss of phone service and the backlog of emails I have now, etc. etc. 

Okay, enough of my rant.  I will be calling in and giving them h*ll on Monday.  And I WILL switch to Verizon as soon as they offer their new Fiber Optic Service in our area. 

One thing it did do was make me realize just how dependent I am on the internet right now.  I felt like I had been handcuffed and pinned to the floor without it.  I do everything on the internet.  Look up phone numbers, bill pay, check on my credit card balances, business etc.  I hate that I'm that dependent...but I'm really glad to be back and here with you again.  : )

Organizing Blog Reader & Blog email Subscriptions

Having trouble organizing your Blog subscriptions? The Organizing Junkie started a riff on how to organize over 241 blogs she has subscribed to!!  The comments on this post provide tons of great ideas on how to organize your blog subscriptions.

In response, Marcia wrote an interesting post about 3 ways to keep your blog reading under control

How I Manage my Blog Reading

I had to stop using a blog reader a while back. I work full-time out of my office in addition to writing this blog and it was just too distracting and time consuming - I could not keep up. I find it much easier to subscribe to blogs I love by email.  Since I already have to check email every day (except on weekends) it keeps things simpler for me. 

My favorite is Feedblitz because it sends me one email a day with all the latest posts consolidated into one email. I can quickly scan the email if I have time. If I don't, I just have to pass for that day, but the next day I can read them.

I really wish everyone would use Feedblitz for email subscriptions instead of using Feedburner's email service which sends each blog's posts out as an individual emails.  That gets so overwhelming I end up routing those to my Outlook "Blogs" folder and I can't check that everyday - so, they pile up unread.  If you are not using Feedblitz I'm probably not reading your bog every day.  Sorry!

Speaking of that, are you getting my posts by email?  Just click below to get started! You'll only get an email when I post...and the max is once per day.

http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=19722

Organizing & Following up on Voice Mails

Terry Matlen of ADD Consults offered this article by Suzanne Babb on Organizing and Controlling Voicemails    Terry also recently featured my article Choosing the Right Planner for You on her site.  I'm so honored!

My Tips for Organizing and Following up on Voicemail  

I use a RediForm message book.  This has been working well because as is typical for me, I customized it to my needs!  I like the large spaces for me to write in so I can write large and be able to read it without wearing my reading glasses! : ) 

So here's how I customize it. Since I know the message is for me, I made up my own way to use the fields.

• TO field for the caller name
• FROM field for their phone numbers
• DATE field for date of message
• TIME field for the date I returned the call.
• MESSAGE field is the message, plus I note whether or not they have called me back.  After 2 - 3 followups I stop calling them.

Just recently I discovered two other Rediform tools which I might consider giving a try.

Incoming / Outgoing Call Register

Follow-Up™ Voice Mail Log Book

How do you handle following up on your voicemails?

I recently figured out how to allow people to leave active links in my blog comments!!

If you write or have written a post about voicemails...submit your link here by clicking on comments and typing it in! And by the way...it is NOT a no-follow link : )  If the link you submit is not related...sorry but it will be deleted : )

Thanks!

Shredder Review: Staples MailMate & Tips on What to Shred

The Staples MailMate Shredder is an excellent personal shredder for day-to-day moderate usage -- like shredding those credit offers and other junk mail as SOON AS it comes in.  No more piles of "To Shred"  paper! I keep mine right under my desk which is where I open mail. (I also have a bin for paper to be recycled.) They are small and inexpensive enough that you may want to have one in your kitchen as well as in your home office or whereever you bring your mail into the house.

Here are the “pros” of the shredder: 

• VERY Easy to empty basket  
• Shreds using the Cross-cut method which truly destroys what you are shredding.  It comes out in tiny bits!
• It's very powerful and can shred non-paper items like CDs, credit cards, etc.
• Can shred quite 20 pages at a time - even unopened mail like those stupid credit card offers & all those "convenience checks" the credit card companies send
• Compact size &  Light weight
• Has Child safety features like auto off
• Fast shredding
• Jam resistant - I haven't not had a single jam with it in the year and a half I've had it.  My old shredder jammed all the time.
• Price - with a $20 rebate which is very easy to submit online, this cost around $40.

Here are the “cons” of the shredder: 

• A little loud but quieter then my previous shredder!
• Shredder slot is small for paper - you have to fold the paper first to shred it
• Small basket (needs to be emptied often, but it's extremely easy to pull out the basket and dump it into your wastebasket)

What to Do With Your Old Shredder
If, like me, your spouse has a home office in the basement and you are on the second floor, you can put your old shredder in the office of whoever uses it least!  (My husband got the old one : ) 

WHAT TO SHRED AND WHAT NOT TO SHRED

I only shred paper that has financial account numbers or my SSN on it.  If I shredded everything with my name & address on it, I'd spend way too much time and energy sweating.  You can just tear it and recycle it, or mark it out with a Sharpie.

Besides, most identity theft occurs from people with access to your files.  Beyond that, identify theft has gone high tech.  Your info can be gotten from public records, easily available mailing lists, and from places where you actually use your cards to shop. E.g., a hacker gets into a company's stored credit card numbers, etc. 

See Related Links & Posts:

• OptOut - never receive a pesky pre-approved credit card offer again. Do it online or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.
• Getting Rid of Junk Mail
• Tips for Processing Incoming Mail

How long ago did you water your plants, change your AC air filter, or change the litter box?

If you have no idea when the last time was you watered your plants, or changed your AC filter, you might be a good candidate for this little gadget. The DaysAgo Digital Day Counter is a digital day counter that attaches to a variety of surfaces with a magnetic  or suction backing and counts up to 99 days. You can use it on food containers to let you know how many days ago you opened it.

Personally, I water my plants when the tops look dry, and I change the litter box completely when it starts to smell. And believe me, with three cats, I scoop every day so I know when scooping just isnt' good enough to keep it clean smelling anymore! : )

What do you think? Is this gadget a must have for some ToDo on your list?

Update to Digital Camera with a Wide Angle Lens for Taking Real Estate or Room Makeover Pictures?

Many thanks to Brandie Kajino from Organize Simplify for commenting and letting us know that there are 2 other affordable digital cameras with wide angle zoom lenses!  Here is my original digital camera review post, luckily I haven't purchased the Kodak Easy Share v705 7.1 megapixel 5x ultra wide angle Dual Lens optical zoom yet!

Here are the 2 new contenders

1) The Canon PowerShot SD800 with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom

At around $300 the Canon PowerShot SD800 is similar to the others, and it has received very good reviews from Digital Photography Review and CNET.com  (7.8 out of 10)

2) The  Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01  It looks great too.  It come in colors including pink!   Here's a review of it from Digital Photography Review.   http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06021404panasonicfx01.asp

This is a much tougher decision now! 

Looking for a Digital Camera with a Wide Angle Lens for Taking Real Estate or Room Makeover Pictures?

Me too!  I've been looking for a wide angle camera to take pix of the rooms I work on.  Fellow professional organizer, Sarah Roberts, from Texas, discovered the RealPIX at $299.   

I like the Realpix because it's true that the most important parts of the camera for quality pix are the lens and the flash.  If the RealPix camera truly has a lens that doesn't distort the way most wide angle lenses do, AND a built in flash that will project to 20 ft - $299 is a fair price.  I paid nearly that much for a wide angle lens and nearly $200 for a powerful flash unit for my 35mm (non-digital) Nikon system.  Eventually, if the camers sells well, it will become cheaper.  Especially if they sell it through places like B&H Photo, Butterfly Photo or www.Amazon.com. (I've purchased at all these places and the service / hipping was great.

Here's what I don't like about the RealPIX.

• No LCD viewer to see the pix you've taken, so if the picture does not come out right, you don't find out till you get back to your computer to upload it.
• No memory disks so that you can transfer pix without a cable - it holds 400 shots in internal memory and you upload with a USB cable (as if I don't have enough cables on my desk already!  : )
• Battery is built in - which means it is designed to eventually just be thrown away and if you do let it discharge completely, you can't just throw in spare batteries.  It says it will provide many years of service, but that depends on how you use it. It does come with a car charger. 
• 640x480 is the only picture size it takes - They designed that for uploading to real estate websites using and auto uploader.  But for websites like mine, I can go bigger.  And often I crop out the ceiling etc that people don't need to see.  With this camera, this is no room for cropping.

All in all I think they limited their market and should have considered interior designers, real estate stagers, and professional organizers.  That would have doubled their market.  Or at least come up with another version of the camera that offers the quality pix with some of the other basic conveniences of digital cameras.  Even if it is more expensive.  Personally I'd rather pay more for a camera I like than pay less and not be happy with it.

The only other wide angle I've found is the Kodak Easy Share v705 7.1 megapixel 5x ultra wide angle Dual Lens optical zoom, ($230 on Amazon Retail $349) but according to the reviews, there is some distortion and the picture is "soft" or not sharply focused. That's probably because it's an optical zoom lens and not a fixed lens.

But at least it has an LCD viewer, memory disk, replaceable battery, and all the other conveniences we've become used to in a digital camera.  This means you can use it for your wide angle shots and for other purposes such as closeups of work you've done.  It even takes video clips and has digital image stabilization.  And the spare battery is only 16$

It's predecessor was the 5 Megapixel version and on that page you can see LOTS of photos taken with camera including 49 photos that have been uploaded by customers. This cute cat was the only one I found of a wide angle shot indoors.  As you can see it is a little dark...and there is distortion.  Not sure they used flash - it doesn't look like it. But with a wide angle lens, you will see more distortion the closer you are to an object.  This looks like it was taken pretty close. 

The panorama stitch function may be better for some rooms. See the panoramic photo taken inside a van by one of the Amazon reviewers.  (Click to see it larger) 

***UPDATES***

1) Thanks to Susan Kousek for sending me an email pointing out that with the Kodak camera "the flash won't fire while you're in panoramic mode." 

2) Thanks to Brandie Kajino for pointing out 2 more wide angle cameras - Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 and the Canon PowerShot SD800   See my update post

They all sound great!  I don't know what I'll get right now, but either way I'll post pix and let you know when I do.  Maybe I'll get them all and test them out!  : )

New Credit Card Scam Alert - Never give your PIN to someone who calls you!

Received this in an email and checked it out.  It's not a hoax.  Unfortunately it's very real so be careful!  It's not really about organizing, but I consider this a "Public Service Message"   : )   

__________________________

The scam works like this: Person calls you and says,

"This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?"

When you say "No", the caller continues with,

"Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues -

"I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says,

"I need to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers".

There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. [These are the PIN numbers you need to make purchases]

After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?"

After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

You actually say very little during the call, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 w as charged to our card.

Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.

What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation.

The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily!

______________________________

Don't let this happen to you!  : )

NeatReceipts Scanalizer Problem Resolution With Windows

UPDATE February 2008  see my article about organizing financial records and information, scanning systems, and doing your taxes using tax software.

See my Recommended Neat & Simple Financial Organizing Products

HOW WE RESOLVED OUR ISSUES WITH NEAT RECEIPTS

I spoke to NeatReceipts today 12/7/06.  Our problem was due to a rare Windows issue!  We tried again with help from their tech support. I'll let you know how it goes!  p.s. Their service seems to be excellent!  We just have to get another one...since we already returned our previous one.

_________________________________

I tried the NeatReceipts Scanalizer system and sad to say, I was very disappointed. I had very high hopes for being able to rid my clients (and myself) of the need to keep business receipts.

Alan & I spent a day working with it and tried every kind of receipt we have including Staples, Target, Home Depot, Linens & Things, Office Depot & more. We even tried Supermarket receipts! Not a single receipt scanned in and populated the Scanalizer fields. Every entry on the receipt had to be entered by hand. Even the name of the Store. It recognized nothing. All it did was scan it in like any graphical scanner would do. To me the power of scanning is in the OCR capability - (recognizing the text and entering it as text for you into their database).

I think it's a better investment to go with a more powerful scanner.  Haven't found the right one yet...would love to hear if anyone out there has found a powerful quality OCR scanner that easily integrates with a database, is reasonably portable and costs under $500.

Fujitsu ScanSnap Review - 2 Thumbs up!!

Thanks to Professional Organizer, Tracy Axcell for this great review of the Fujitsu ScanSnap.  See Fujitsu's product information site including a video demo here.  You can see the Fujitsu ScanSnap at Amazon with 22 positive Reviews!!!

The Fujitsu ScanSnap is designed for scanning way beyond receipts. But for receipts, you can load numerous receipts in one pass and every one of the receipts are searchable through OCR in the pdf file.  If you only want to scan receipts you can do that with an All-in-One but if you want them truly searchable you have to "capture and catalog" every single receipt which is very time consuming. 
 

With Fujitsu ScanSnap you can load multiple pages to feed thru as one document and the speed is unbelievable!  I have used an All-in-One but it is just too slow.  (Most my clients are converting to paper-less so the speed is a big draw.) A huge benefit is that it scans both front and back at the same time - it doesn't have to make two passes to get both sides, then it discards any blank page.   It also comes with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 and an inexprensive option of upgrading to Professional.   

Another reason I like it over an All-in-One is that you can load a stack of papers that are different sizes and scan them as one document and it doesn't get jammed.  The All-in-Ones I've used require the paper all be the same size if you load multiple pages.

Don't get me wrong, ScanSnap is not something to buy for a residential client who just wants a copy of her receipts.  Under $400 it is really to be used for business clients, home office clients or clients who want to scan everything in their files.  But, for my money it is way beyond worth it! 

[Editor's Note: You can get the Fujitsu ScanSnap at Amazon for a great price!

Tracy Axcell

www.OfficiallyOrganized.com

Docupen – The smallest handheld portable documents scanner in the world

This is the coolest techno gadget I've seen in quite a while.  It's a page / photo scanner you can take with you anywhere!  It holds 8 MB of info and you move the file to your computer via USB.  The battery recharges while connected to your USB port!  This could significantly reduce the amount of paper filing you need to do. 

It also won the PC Editor's Choice Award!  DocuPen RC800 (DPEN-RC800)

POSSIBLE USES

1. This would be a great tool to have to store paper digitally and free up your filing space! For those of you afraid to throw away paper, this may be a great way to create a purgatory for it.  Keep 12 digital file folders labeled by month and add papers according to the month you receive them.  If you don't need the papers during the next 3 months to a year...just delete the contents and start over!
2. When I'm at a client site and we write up their Master Plan and To Do List, instead of making a paper copy, I can just scan it in.
3. Easily Scan in photos from an old photo album.
4. Scan scan in receipts to a digital folder for business tax purposes and not to have a paper filing system.
5. Scan in articles from magazines so you don't have to keep the whole magazine or have files.
6. Scan a single page from a book without having to put the book on your scanning bed.

What ideas do you have? Would love to hear them!

My birthday is next month and this is on my list of presents! If it works as well as it seems to, it will be a great way to cut back on paper clutter in the home office.  To learn more about this scanner and see video demos go to:

http://planon.com/docupen_rc800.php

Best,

Ariane

Protect Yourself from Personal Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, and Identity Theft

If you have concerns about Identity Theft this lens by Kimberly Dawn Wells features lots of tips, ideas, and resource links on How to protect your bank account, credit cards and more on her lens Protect Yourself from Personal Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, and Identity Theft on Squidoo.

Here a few of my favorite tips from Kimberly Dawn Wells (followed by a few tips from me):

KIMBERLY's TIPS

• Read your bank statements closely for anything that you don't recognize, and look into it immediately. Don't forget ATM withdrawls and miscellaneous memos.
• Use secure ATM locations. Watch for people lurking nearby or extraneous electronics attached to the ATM interface. If the machine takes your card (as opposed to just letting you swipe it) make sure you have it when you walk away.
• Avoid letting businesses debit your bank account instead of a credit or debit card. If something goes wrong, a credit or debit card is so much easier to change than your bank account number.

CREDIT CARDS

• Cancel credit cards you don't use often.
• Only use your credit card online at websites you trust. If you have doubts, request to make a payment by mail or purchase from another company.
• Annual Credit Report

This is the official site where you must go to request your free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. You may request it once yearly, it is free, and it is well worth it!

• TransUnion
  This is one of the three major credit reporting bureaus that you need to be familiar with.
  Experian
  This is another of the three major credit reporting bureaus that you need to be familiar with.
  Equifax
  This is the third of the three major credit reporting bureaus that you need to be familiar with.

_____________________

ARIANE'S TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY AND FINANCIAL DATA!

1. Always use the same card for all online purchases. That way it if there is a problem, you only have to cancel one card.
2. If you have multiple cards, only carry one with you.
3. Make a copy of all the contents of your wallet, and update it regularly. (Try programming a recurring reminder into your calendar or any electronic reminder tool you use.  I use Outlook for all my reminders.) If it's stolen, you'll able to immediately alert all the relevant parties in case of potential identify theft.
4. Don't carry your social security card in your wallet.
5. Keep track of all your cards using a binder with business card or trading card page holders.  That way you can see all your cards at a glance and know if any are missing.  You can also make notes about your cards in the binder such as what the interest rate is, etc. TIP: Don't label the binder as credit cards - give it a code name and keep it in a secure, locked place.
6. If you must write down your passwords, never write down the real word!!! Establish a code system.  For example, if you use the word "password" write down p*d.  or any kind of code system like that you can remember.  If you use variations of the same word, vary the code for each.  Another type of code system would be, if you use your sister's name, write her birthday - only you will know it's really her name.

Hope you find these helpful!  Feel free to comment below with your favorite tips!

Phishing - Who Do I Tell?

Do you get a lot of mail from scammers who are Phishing for your account information, passwords etc?  I get a ton of this crap saying my accounts are showing suspicious activity, or there are bad charges.  The do a pretty good job of imitating Ebay, Banks, and Investment companies. 

First of all, if there really was a problem, the company would probably call, not email.  If you you want to do your part in reporting these emails to the authorities that have the ability to actually track down these frauds and scammers, check out this lens on squidoo Phishing - Who Do I Tell?.

Jennifer Einstein provides several very comprehensive lists of resources related to phishing and spamming.  For example:

Want phishing to stop? Well, it probably isn't going to happen. However, if everyone forwards the emails that try to steal our identity to the right people, we can at least start to make headway.

Federal Trade Commission

First and foremost, any and all phishing letters (and actually anything you suspect is a scam) should be emailed to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at spam@uce.gov.

[Fun Fact = UCE stands for Unsolicited Commercial Email]

Internet Crime Complaint Center

All internet scams - including phishing emails - can also be reported to ncua@ic3.gov.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international level, IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes.

eBay

forward suspicious mail to: spoof@ebay.com

The IRS

The IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers through email. Let me repeat that. The IRS NEVER initiates contact with taxpayers through email.

If you get anything that claims to be from them, send it to phishing@irs.gov.

PayPal

forward suspicious email to: spoof@paypal.com

National Credit Union Administration

Suspicious email should be forwarded, in full, to Phishing@ncua.gov.

SEE LOTS MORE AT http://www.squidoo.com/reportphishing

Thanks Jennifer for a great resource!!!

How to Share Your Videos and Files Over the Web

I found a neat little statistic today on the P2P (Peer to Peer) File Sharing Blog. According to the latest Pew Internet survey, 48 million Americans now publish and share media on the Internet.  And I'm one of them!  We mostly use our website and blog, but I recommend  www.flickr.com  for sharing photos and for sharing all those little video clips you've been taking with your digital camera http://www.youtube.com/  and http://www.dropshots.com

WARNING:  Visiting these video sharing sites can be a lot of fun...and they can seriously waste your time!  : )   

If you want to learn more about all the latest technology, resources and issues related to sharing your videos, photos, music and other files on the web, check out this comprehensive blog by my fellow Linked-In blogger, Marc Freedman.